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Closing foot

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 last metrical foot in a line, which strongly influences the line’s cadence, closure, and rhythmic character.

Detailed Definition
A Closing foot is the final metrical foot in a line of verse, whose composition (e.g., trochee vs. spondee) can significantly affect the line’s cadence and sense of completion; in classical metrics, a closing spondee may add weight, while in English prosody, a feminine ending might soften the termination.
Example
Example in poetry:
Closing foot: the final metrical unit of a line—often inverted for emphasis, as in iambic pentameter’s trochaic close: “To be, or not to be: that is the quesTION”; In “Paradise Lost,” Milton uses spondaic closings for weight: “dark UNprofaned”; A poem ending on a pyrrhic foot (“to the”) creates breathless suspension; Closing feet shape a line’s emotional landing.
Additional Notes
Closing foot|The final metrical foot of a line of verse; its type (e.g., catalectic, masculine, feminine) can significantly impact the line's rhythm and perceived closure.
Also Known As
terminal foot final metric foot closing measure end-position foot Adonic foot
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