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Catalexis absence

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

The state of a verse line not being catalectic, i.e., not lacking final syllables

Detailed Definition
Catalexis absence describes a metrical line that is acatalectic—fully complete with no missing syllables—contrasting with catalectic forms that truncate feet; this completeness provides rhythmic stability and predictability, often used in formal verse like iambic pentameter to establish normative cadence before introducing variation through enjambment or caesura.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A metrical line or poem with no catalexis, meaning all metrical feet are complete.”; “A regular iambic pentameter line with ten syllables, fully metrically intact.”
Additional Notes
The presence of a complete final metrical foot in a line, with no missing unstressed syllables; The opposite of catalexis; Denotes a perfectly regular metrical line, often called acatalectic; The standard, unvaried form of a metrical line.
Also Known As
absence of catalexis full measure line untruncated verse Acatalexis
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