Cadential close

Structure
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 sense of closure at the end of a line or stanza achieved through rhythmic resolution, often via a falling or finalizing metrical cadence.

Detailed Definition
A cadential close is a concluding phrase or line that provides rhythmic and tonal resolution, often through falling intonation, rhyme, or syntactic completion; it functions like a musical cadence, signaling finality or repose in lyrical or formal verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
A cadential close ends a poetic section with rhythmic resolution; example: the final couplet of a sonnet providing closure: “Thus, though we cannot make our sun / Stand still, yet we will make him run.”
Additional Notes
Line or phrase providing rhythmic resolution at section end. Related: cadence, closure. Musical term applied to poetry. See also: cadential verse. Creates sense of finality through rhythmic settling.
Also Known As
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