Home › Glossary › Letter B

Boustrophedonic tercet

Structure
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 unit written in alternating directions (left-right, right-left)

Detailed Definition
A boustrophedonic tercet is a three-line stanza arranged in boustrophedon style—alternating line direction and sometimes mirrored text—blending ancient script practice with modern visual poetry to disrupt conventional reading and emphasize materiality of language.
Example
Example in poetry:
Boustrophedonic tercet in visual poetry: Line 1 (left-right), Line 2 (right-left), Line 3 (left-right) with mirrored end-words; Contemporary example by derek beaulieu uses typewriter to create reversible tercets; The tercet’s rhyme scheme adapts to directional shifts; Boustrophedonic tercets challenge linear reading habits; This form merges ancient script practice with modern typography
Additional Notes
Three-line stanza with alternating reading direction per line. Extremely rare experimental form. Related: boustrophedon verse, concrete poetry. More conceptual than practical; challenges conventional reading habits.
Also Known As
Reverse-plowing tercet alternating-direction triplet serpentine tercet zigzag tercet
Skip to main content