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bob-and-wheel unit

Form
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 stanza type with short lines (“bob”) and longer rhymed lines (“wheel”)

Detailed Definition
bob-and-wheel unit is a metrical device in Middle English alliterative verse (notably Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) consisting of a short, rhyming “bob” line (often one or two syllables) followed by a “wheel” of four rhyming lines (typically in ABABA pattern); this structure provides rhythmic contrast and lyrical closure after a passage of unrhymed alliterative long lines, enhancing narrative pacing and musicality.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bob-and-wheel unit: Middle English poetry device with short line (bob) and four-line rhymed stanza (wheel); example in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; use to conclude a stanza with a punch or summary; rhythmic and rhyming closure to a stanza.
Additional Notes
A specific structural feature in Middle English narrative verse (e.g., Sir Gawain and the Green Knight); The bob is a very short (1-3 syllables) line, followed by the wheel, a quatrain of rhyming, shorter lines, closing a long, alliterative stanza; Marks a transition in rhythm and subject.
Also Known As
Medieval bob-and-wheel Stanza tail-rhyme Middle English bobwheel Bob and wheel
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