Home › Glossary › Letter A

Asclepiadic tetrameter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

A metrical line of four asclepiadic units, each blending choriamb (– u u –) and iambic rhythms, creating a stately, complex cadence.

Detailed Definition
An Asclepiadic tetrameter comprises four Asclepiad metrical units per line, creating a richly textured and rhythmically complex line used in elevated classical lyric to convey gravitas, nuance, and formal refinement.
Example
Example in poetry:
Asclepiadic tetrameter: Four Asclepiadic cola per line; e.g., Horace Odes 1.5: “Quis multa gracilis te puer in rosa,” demonstrating the flowing, balanced structure.
Additional Notes
Four-foot line in Asclepiadic meter. Classical Greek quantitative form. Study prosody and Greek metrical patterns. Often appears in combination with other Asclepiadic lines in strophic patterns.
Also Known As
Asclepiad verse four-foot Asclepiad Asclepiad line Classical Greek meter
Skip to main content