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Dactylic break

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 caesura or rhythmic pause occurring within a dactylic line, often used to vary flow or emphasize key words in classical or neo-classical verse.

Detailed Definition
A dactylic break occurs when a dactylic rhythm (stressed-unstressed-unstressed) is interrupted by a different metrical foot or caesura, creating rhythmic tension or emphasis; this disruption may signal emotional shift, thematic pivot, or deliberate subversion of expected cadence in otherwise regular verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Breaking off a dactylic flow mid-foot; A sudden stress disrupting “galloping rhythm”; Consciously fractured epic cadence; A pointed mid-dactyl pause.
Additional Notes
A dactylic break occurs when the expected dactylic rhythm is interrupted; it creates contrast or emphasis.
Also Known As
Dactylic pause Falling rhythm caesura Triple-meter break Dactylic interruption
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