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Classical extended line

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 lengthened verse line used in classical poetry, often exceeding standard metrical norms

Detailed Definition
Classical extended line denotes a poetic line that exceeds conventional metrical length—often a hexameter or longer—drawing from ancient Greek and Latin epic traditions; it typically sustains elevated diction and narrative scope, allowing for expansive expression within a single rhythmic unit.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer’s hexameter lines in the Iliad often extend beyond standard length for epic grandeur, such as: “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus”; Virgil’s Aeneid opens with a classically extended line: “I sing of arms and the man, who, forced by fate…”; Long lines in Pindar’s odes stretch metrical norms to accommodate complex mythological allusions; Extended dactylic hexameters in Lucretius’s De Rerum Natura convey philosophical density.
Additional Notes
Classical extended lines exceed typical metrical norms in Greek or Latin epic poetry; used for grandeur, emphasis, or narrative complexity; often appear in Homeric or Pindaric contexts.
Also Known As
Epic-length line Grand line Homeric line Ionic hexameter
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