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Amphibrach substitution

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Replacing a foot with an amphibrach (unstressed-stressed-unstressed) for lilting variation.

Detailed Definition
Amphibrach substitution inserts the triple foot into binary meters, lightening serious tones in songs. It dances; poets adopt it for whimsy, as in limericks, where the sway enhances humorous bounce.
Example
Example in poetry:
An amphibrach substitution replaces an iamb with an amphibrach (u / u), as in "The quiet moon above the hill" (substituting in "quiet moon" for "to the"); "She sang a song of love and loss" (substituting "sang a song"); "The leaves fell soft upon the ground" (substituting "fell soft upon"); "The child ran fast, then turned around" (substituting "ran fast, then"); "The stars above shone clear and bright" (substituting "above shone"); "The river flowed through vale and glen" (substituting "flowed through").
Additional Notes
Amphibrach substitution replaces a standard foot (often iambic) with an amphibrach (unstressed-stressed-unstressed), introducing a lilting, rolling rhythm common in comic verse or lyrical poetry; this variation softens rigid patterns and mimics natural speech rhythms, particularly effective in ballads and limericks.
Also Known As
Amphibrachic substitution amphibrach replacement
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