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Complete 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 poetic line that maintains the full metric length without truncation

Detailed Definition
Complete hexameter refers to a full line of six metrical feet, typically dactylic (— ∪ ∪) in classical epic poetry, used to convey grandeur and narrative scope; in English adaptations, it often blends dactyls and spondees to approximate the stately rhythm of Homeric or Virgilian verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” use complete dactylic hexameter; Virgil’s “Aeneid” maintains full hexameter lines throughout; Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” in complete hexameters; Lucretius’ “On the Nature of Things” fully in classical hexameter.
Additional Notes
Complete hexameter|A line of verse consisting of six metrical feet, where the final foot must follow the strict rules of the form (e.g., dactyl or spondee, depending on the tradition); common in classical epic poetry.
Also Known As
whole hexameter full six-beat line complete heroic line Acatalectic hexameter Untruncated hexameter
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