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cut-off meter

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 metrical line or foot abruptly terminated to disrupt expected rhythm, creating surprise, tension, or expressive fragmentation.

Detailed Definition
Cut-off meter refers to a metrical line abruptly truncated or interrupted, often to convey shock, hesitation, or fragmentation; this technique destabilizes rhythmic expectation and mirrors psychological or situational rupture within the poem’s content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cut-off meter breaking line before full foot ends; Truncated verse giving abrupt rhythm; Half-foot final word creating jarring cadence; Intentionally unfinished metrical units
Additional Notes
Cut-off meter refers to lines of verse where the final syllable or foot is intentionally omitted (or catalectic), creating a sense of abruptness, lightness, or incompleteness.
Also Known As
Truncated meter Shortened rhythm Cut-line cadence Clipped meter
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