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Compressed 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 hexameter line shortened through elision, syncope, or contraction, maintaining six feet in spirit but reduced in syllabic count.

Detailed Definition
A six-foot metrical line that has been shortened through the use of contractions, elisions, or syncopation while maintaining the hexameter pattern, commonly employed when adapting classical Greek or Latin verse forms to English poetic tradition. This technique allows poets to achieve the gravitas and expansiveness of hexameter while accommodating English syntax, as seen in neoclassical translations where forms like "th'eternal" replace "the eternal" to preserve six metrical feet.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hexameter with elisions reducing syllable count; Six-foot lines using contractions for compression; Dactylic hexameter with syncope; Classical hexameter adapted through omissions
Additional Notes
Requires understanding of classical prosody and English adaptation. Contractions and elisions maintain six feet while fitting English syntax. Common in neoclassical translations.
Also Known As
Contracted hexameter Reduced six-measure Elided six-foot line Syncopated hexameter Elision Hexameter
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