Home › Glossary › Letter C

Counter-metric

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Describing verse that resists or disrupts normal metrical expectations.

Detailed Definition
Counter-metric describes a deliberate deviation from an established metrical pattern within a poem to create tension, emphasis, or surprise; this technique disrupts rhythmic expectations, drawing attention to specific words or ideas, and is often used at moments of emotional climax or thematic reversal.
Example
Example in poetry:
Lines written as counter-metric to convention; Beats resisting classical meter; Verses intentionally breaking scansion; Free verse opposing expectations of metric.
Additional Notes
Counter-metric refers to a line or passage of verse that deliberately breaks with or resists the established metrical pattern of the surrounding poem; used to create emphasis or a sense of unease.
Also Known As
Counter-measure Reverse rhythm Anti-metric pattern
Skip to main content