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Cretic line

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 three-syllable foot (— ∪ —) used for solemn or processional effects in Greek and Latin verse

Detailed Definition
A Cretic line uses the cretic foot (–u–), combining long-short-long syllables for a solemn, balanced cadence; it appears in ancient hymns and occasional modern verse seeking archaic gravitas or liturgical tone.
Example
Example in poetry:
Meter with stressed-unstressed-stressed (¯ ˘ ¯): “Gentle now, don’t add to heartache”; “Boldly go where none have gone”; Rare in English; more common in Greek/Latin; Example: Longfellow’s experimental use in “Hiawatha” fragments
Additional Notes
Cretic line contains cretic feet (– ᴗ –). Specify length (dimeter, trimeter, etc.) for precision. Creates emphatic, balanced rhythm. Rare in English due to stress patterns.
Also Known As
Cretic measure Long-short-long line Amphimacer line Three-syllable balanced measure
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