Home › Glossary › Letter C

Cumulative meter

Meter
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

A rhythmical structure in which stresses or beats accumulate across phrases instead of fitting a strict pattern

Detailed Definition
Cumulative meter is a rhythmic structure that builds through additive repetition—such as anacoluthon or parataxis—rather than strict metrical feet, creating a flowing, incantatory effect common in oral traditions, biblical poetry, or Whitmanesque free verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cumulative meter adds up beats over time; Verse where stresses accumulate as poem progresses; Lines growing longer by adding metrical feet; Poem where rhythm thickens successively
Additional Notes
Cumulative meter is a metrical system where metrical units or stresses are added as a poem or stanza progresses, gradually increasing the length, density, or rhythm of the lines; opposite of declining meter.
Also Known As
Accumulative meter Gathered rhythm Successive cadence Additive meter Aggregate meter
Skip to main content