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Double pyrrhic

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

Two consecutive pyrrhic feet (unstressed-unstressed), lightening the rhythm in stressed-dominant meters.

Detailed Definition
Double pyrrhic inserts paired light feet into iambic or trochaic lines, creating fleeting softness in otherwise firm rhythms, as in Elizabethan songs. This substitution softens tone for tenderness; in literature, it appears to humanize heroic verse, allowing poets to weave vulnerability into martial themes, fostering emotional range in dramatic works.
Example
Example in poetry:
Double pyrrhic (u u u u) appears in "The wind, it blows" (double pyrrhic); "The stars, they shine" (double pyrrhic); "The fire, it burns" (double pyrrhic); "The bells, they ring" (double pyrrhic); "The river, flows" (double pyrrhic); "The moon, it rises" (double pyrrhic).
Additional Notes
Double pyrrhic inserts two consecutive pyrrhic feet (ᴗ ᴗ | ᴗ ᴗ), significantly lightening the rhythm; this device contrasts with surrounding stresses, creating subtle lulls or mimicking breathlessness in expressive passages.
Also Known As
Double dibrach paired pyrrhics
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