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Bounded trimeter

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 three-foot line arranged in repeated short-long-long-short format.

Detailed Definition
Bounded trimeter is a three-foot metrical line governed by consistent stress or syllable count, often used for lyrical brevity, hymnal regularity, or folk-song cadence; its compact structure suits epigrams, ballads, and children’s verse, where rhythmic clarity and mnemonic ease are prioritized over expansive development.
Example
Example in poetry:
Bounded trimeter: Edna St. Vincent Millay’s ‘Sorrow like a ceaseless rain’ with strict three-foot lines within stanza limits; Trimeter lines contained within stanzas to create tight rhythmic units; Used in lyrical poetry to maintain balance and tempo; Lines precisely ending to emphasize content.
Additional Notes
A line of trimeter (three metrical feet) that has a set, inflexible pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables; Limits the natural variation often found in trimeter; A type of tightly controlled meter.
Also Known As
Restricted trimeter Limited three-foot line Constrained trimeter Antispastic trimeter
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