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Choriambic hexameter

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 six-foot line composed of choriambic feet (long-short-short-long)

Detailed Definition
Choriambic hexameter is a six-unit line built around the choriamb (–uu–), a central foot flanked by complementary elements; it creates a stately, wave-like rhythm used in Pindaric odes and Horatian lyrics for elevated or ceremonial themes.
Example
Example in poetry:
Choriambic hexameter uses six choriambic feet: “Over the mountains, under the stars, through the valleys, beyond the seas, into the dawn, out of the dark.”
Additional Notes
Six-foot line using choriambic meter throughout, creating elaborate rhythmic pattern. Twenty-four syllables in classical prosody. Extremely rare in English stress-based verse. Related to other choriambic line lengths.
Also Known As
Six-foot choriambic choriambic six-measure long-short-short-long hexameter six-unit choriamb
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