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Dactylic pentameter

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 five-foot dactylic line, less common than hexameter but used for variation

Detailed Definition
Dactylic pentameter is a five-foot dactylic line, less common than hexameter but used for lyrical variation; it appears in Greek elegiac couplets (paired with hexameter) and modern imitations seeking rhythmic contrast within strophic forms.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dactylic pentameter: "This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper" (five dactylic feet, though often mixed with spondees in practice).
Additional Notes
Dactylic pentameter contains five dactylic feet. Less common than hexameter but more manageable. Creates swift, falling rhythm. Compare with iambic pentameter (rising). Used for lighter subjects than epic hexameter.
Also Known As
Five-foot dactylic Five-measure falling verse Pentametric dactyl Greek five-foot
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