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Choriambic replacement

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 substitution of a choriamb in place of another metrical foot

Detailed Definition
Choriambic replacement is a metrical technique in which a standard foot (e.g., iamb or trochee) within a line is substituted with a choriamb (— ∪ ∪ —) to introduce rhythmic complexity or thematic emphasis; this device allows poets to modulate tone while preserving the underlying metrical scheme, especially in adaptive or hybrid verse forms.
Example
Example in poetry:
Choriambic replacement swaps standard feet for choriamb in a line; in Tennyson’s “Ulysses,” “Matched with an aged wife” uses choriambic replacement; the technique adds gravitas to iambic lines; choriambic replacement appears in dramatic monologues for emotional weight; it creates rhythmic variation without formal overhaul
Additional Notes
Choriambic replacement|Substituting a choriambic foot (–∪∪–) with another metrical foot (like an iamb or trochee) or vice versa, often done to vary the rhythm in classical verse.
Also Known As
substitute choriamb replacement choriamb improvised choriamb foot Choriambic substitution
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