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Choreic tetrameter

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 four-foot line of chorees (trochees), producing a falling, emphatic rhythm

Detailed Definition
Choreic tetrameter is a four-foot line of choreic (trochaic) meter (–u), known for its marching, emphatic rhythm; it appears in Greek drama, Germanic alliterative verse, and English hymns, conveying urgency, celebration, or solemnity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Choreic tetrameter (– u – – | – u – – | – u – – | – u – –) appears in Archilochus; this meter combines trochee and spondee for martial rhythm; rare in English, but Swinburne mimics it in “Atalanta in Calydon”; choreic tetrameter suits vigorous, public themes; it’s distinct from iambic or dactylic meters; modern formalists occasionally revive it for archaic effect.
Additional Notes
Four-foot line using trochaic meter, termed choreic in Greek prosody. Common in classical and light verse. Creates bouncing, dance-like rhythm. Related to trochaic tetrameter but uses Greek terminology.
Also Known As
Trochaic tetrameter four-foot trochee choreic four-measure running rhythm tetrameter
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