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Dochmiac verse

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

An irregular classical meter (˘ – – ˘ –) associated with emotional turbulence, used in Greek drama to convey agitation or ecstasy.

Detailed Definition
Dochmiac verse employs the irregular, emotionally charged dochmiac meter (˘ – – ˘ –) to convey psychological distress, ecstasy, or dramatic urgency; originating in Greek tragedy, it resists stable scansion and is rarely adapted into English, though its spirit informs free verse that prioritizes emotional cadence over metrical regularity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dochmiac: irregular, emotional meter (˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ˘); Used in Greek tragedy for agitation; Example: Euripides’ Bacchae choruses; Rarely imitated in English due to complexity
Additional Notes
Poetry using dochmiac feet throughout, creating agitated, syncopated rhythm. Extremely rare in English. Associated with tragic emotion and intensity. Study Greek prosodic traditions for context.
Also Known As
emotional meter agitated rhythm Dochmiac stanza
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