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Cretic dimeter

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 two-foot line of cretics (long-short-long), producing stately, balanced cadence

Detailed Definition
Cretic dimeter is a two-foot line of cretic meter (–u–), a rhythmic pattern associated with ritual or processional verse; though rare, it appears in Greek drama and modern experiments seeking stately, incantatory effects.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cretic dimeter: ¯ ˘ ¯ x2; “Noble heart / Fights for truth”; Found in Greek drama; English approximation: “Holy fire / Burns desire”; Swinburne experiments: “Sacred name / Claims no fame”; Cretic = stressed-unstressed-stressed.
Additional Notes
Cretic dimeter contains two cretic feet per line (– ᴗ – / – ᴗ –). Rare meter creating heavy, emphatic rhythm. Compare with other dimeter forms. Strong for ceremonial or weighty subjects.
Also Known As
Two-foot cretic Amphimacer dimeter Two-measure cretic long-short-long
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