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Cretic 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 line composed entirely of cretic feet (long-short-long)

Detailed Definition
Cretic hexameter is a rare metrical line composed of six cretic feet (– ᴗ –), producing a stately, processional rhythm historically used in Greek and Latin hymns or victory odes; its strong medial stresses lend gravitas and ceremonial dignity to elevated themes.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Longfellow’s “Evangeline,” dactylic hexameter adapts classical form to American epic; In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s translation of Dante, dactylic hexameter renders Inferno’s gravity; In Robinson Jeffers’ “Roan Stallion,” dactylic hexameter evokes mythic California landscape; In Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” dactylic hexameter bridges Homeric and Caribbean traditions; In Annie Finch’s “The Ghost of Meter,” dactylic hexameter revives classical rhythm for feminist themes.
Additional Notes
Cretic hexameter comprises six cretic feet per line. Extremely rare—heavy and ponderous. Compare with dactylic hexameter (more common). Theoretical more than practical—few sustained examples exist.
Also Known As
amphimacer hexameter pompous hexameter
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