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Bacchic four-measure

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

A metrical line composed of four Bacchiac units (– ◡ ◡), creating a driving, emphatic rhythm uncommon in English poetry.

Detailed Definition
Bacchic four-measure describes a poetic line containing four bacchic feet (stressed-unstressed-unstressed), totaling twelve syllables, used to create a lilting, offbeat cadence that contrasts with more common meters; this structure is uncommon in English but appears in experimental or accentual-syllabic hybrid forms.
Example
Example in poetry:
Four bacchius feet: “the STRONG and FIERCE will BREAK them ALL”; A tetrameter line with bacchiac pulse; A chant of four bacchii in sequence; A ballad-like rhythm using bacchiac four-measure
Additional Notes
Bacchic four-measure is a metrical line composed of four Bacchius feet (--∪), often called Bacchic tetrameter; creates a strong, driving, and often elevated rhythm.
Also Known As
four-foot Bacchiac Bacchiac tetrapody four-measure rhythm Bacchiac quartet Bacchiac tetrameter
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