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Attenuated tercet

Structure
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

A three-line stanza where each line progressively decreases in length or emphasis

Detailed Definition
Attenuated tercet is a three-line stanza characterized by thinning—of diction, imagery, or emotional intensity—often moving from concrete to abstract or fullness to absence; this form enacts diminishment or spiritual refinement, as in late poems by Wallace Stevens or Jorie Graham exploring epistemological limits.
Example
Example in poetry:
Attenuated tercet: In Jorie Graham’s “San Sepolcro,” tercets often consist of one full line followed by two fragmented phrases, creating an attenuated tercet that mirrors spiritual thinning.
Additional Notes
Attenuated tercet: A three-line stanza with reduced syllable count or sparse diction; creates fragility or minimalism; contrasts with robust or ornate tercets.
Also Known As
Weakened tercet diminished triplet reduced three-line unit stretched tercet
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