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Analogical meter

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

Rhythm that mimics or corresponds to the subject matter being described

Detailed Definition
Analogical meter is a rhythmic system in which the poem’s prosody is not governed by fixed metrical feet but by proportional relationships between phrase lengths, stress patterns, or breath units that mimic natural speech cadences or organic processes; unlike quantitative or accentual-syllabic meters, analogical meter operates through perceived equivalence rather than strict count, allowing for fluid, responsive rhythms that adapt to the poem’s emotional or thematic contours, as found in the free verse of Walt Whitman or C.D. Wright.
Example
Example in poetry:
Analogical meter uses non-traditional units (e.g., breath, gesture) to measure rhythm, as in Olson’s “Projective Verse”: “ONE PERCEPTION MUST IMMEDIATELY AND DIRECTLY LEAD TO A FURTHER PERCEPTION.”
Additional Notes
Prosody based on analogical relationships between sounds or rhythms rather than strict pattern. Rare theoretical term. Related to equivalence and parallelism. Creates looser cohesion through correspondence rather than repetition.
Also Known As
Analogical rhythm Comparative meter Parallel measure
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