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Bacchic 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 foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables

Detailed Definition
Bacchic measure is a metrical foot in classical poetry consisting of one short syllable followed by two long syllables (u – –), associated with the ecstatic, rhythmic chants of Dionysian rites; though rare in sustained form due to its vigorous, irregular pulse, it appears sporadically in Greek and Latin verse to convey frenzy, celebration, or divine possession, embodying the untamed spirit of Bacchic revelry.
Example
Example in poetry:
A bacchic foot appears in “Out of the cradle endlessly rocking” by Whitman: “Out of the cradle…” (stressed-unstressed-unstressed); Swinburne’s “Atalanta in Calydon” uses bacchics for ecstatic rhythm; occasional bacchic substitutions occur in Longfellow’s “The Song of Hiawatha”; modern example: “DARKness falls across the land” (stressed-unstressed-unstressed).
Additional Notes
Bacchic measure is a metrical foot of one short followed by two long syllables (˘––); rare in English but appears in classical imitations to evoke Dionysian energy or ecstatic rhythm.
Also Known As
Bacchic foot dionysiac meter ecstatic measure revelry rhythm Bacchic Bacchius
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