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catalectic six-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 metrically shortened hexameter line, lacking its final measure

Detailed Definition
Catalectic six-measure denotes a six-foot line in which the final foot is incomplete, lacking one or more syllables to achieve metrical closure; common in trochaic or dactylic meters, this truncation creates a clipped, emphatic ending that heightens rhythmic tension, as in Longfellow’s "Hiawatha," where catalectic trochaic tetrameter mimics Native American oral cadences.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A six-measure line with a missing final syllable in the last measure, shortening rhythm.”; “A stanza where the sixth measure ends catalectic, creating suspense or quickening pace.”
Additional Notes
A line of poetry that would normally have six metrical units (six-measure) but is catalectic (missing a final weak syllable); A metrical form common in certain classical and Anglo-Saxon verses; A type of metrical omission.
Also Known As
six-beat catalectic truncated six-measure line catalectic hexameter variation Choriambic hexameter catalectic
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