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Compound five-measure

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 metrical unit consisting of five combined or complex measures, often mixing different foot types; it creates a flexible, elaborate rhythm that resists simple scansion and adds expressive depth.

Detailed Definition
A highly technical metrical term from classical prosody describing five measures or feet combined into a single compound metrical unit. Rarely encountered in English verse analysis, this concept represents theoretical extensions of metrical complexity more relevant to understanding ancient Greek and Latin poetry than contemporary English verse. It demonstrates how classical prosody conceived of extended rhythmic structures.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Walt Whitman’s catalogs, five-part parallel structures (“I celebrate myself, and sing myself, / And what I assume you shall assume…”) form compound five-measure; In Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” five-beat anaphoric lines (“who sank all night in submarine light…”) create compound five-measure; In C.D. Wright’s “Deepstep Come Shining,” five-line stanzas blend narrative, lyric, and documentary; In Muriel Rukeyser’s “Waterlily Fire,” five-part sections structure historical and personal layers; In Nathaniel Mackey’s “Splay Anthem,” five-measure lines weave myth, music, and migration.
Additional Notes
Highly technical metrical term from classical prosody. Rarely used in modern English verse analysis. More relevant for understanding ancient Greek and Latin poetry.
Also Known As
Quintuple measure Five-part compound Complex five-unit Epitritic pentameter
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