Home › Glossary › Letter A

Asynartetic verse

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

Verse combining unequal or heterogeneous metrical units in alternation

Detailed Definition
Asynartetic verse consists of lines or stanzas that are metrically or syntactically discontinuous, lacking the smooth linkage (synartesis) found in classical prosody; this deliberate disjunction creates jarring transitions, emphasizing fragmentation, rupture, or the breakdown of coherent expression in modern and postmodern poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Asynartetic verse joins stanzas without syntactic continuity, as in Pindar’s odes; Each stanza functions independently yet contributes to overall theme; Horace’s odes sometimes use asynartetic links for meditative leaps; Modern examples appear in lyric sequences like Louise Glück’s “Meadowlands”; It favors emotional resonance over logical progression.
Additional Notes
Asynartetic verse is a classical quantitative meter that combines two metrically distinct parts (feet or groups of feet) into a single line; literally means "not joined" or "incongruous," highlighting the mixed meter.
Also Known As
Mixed meter Irregular verse Unequal rhythms Disparate footwork
Skip to main content