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Elegiac tetrameter

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 four-foot variant of the elegiac line, used for shorter elegiac passages

Detailed Definition
Elegiac tetrameter is a four-foot dactylic line used in some adaptations of the elegiac form, particularly in English imitations, where it replaces the classical pentameter to suit stress-based prosody; it maintains the mournful, measured pace associated with elegiac themes while conforming to vernacular rhythm.
Example
Example in poetry:
Elegiac tetrameter: Less common, but in some English adaptations: “Weep for the lost, the young, the bright”—four dactylic feet expressing lament.
Additional Notes
Four-foot lines in elegiac context, often alternating with other meters. Related to ballad meter but in elegiac mode. Less common than pentameter in English elegies but found in shorter, more intimate mourning poems.
Also Known As
Elegiac four-measure Mourning tetrameter Lament four-foot line Dirge four-beat verse In Memoriam stanza
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