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Eleven-syllable hexameter

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 six-foot line totaling eleven syllables, often found in non-classical adaptations

Detailed Definition
Eleven-syllable hexameter describes a six-foot metrical line totaling eleven syllables, often blending classical hexameter structure with vernacular adaptation; though atypical in strict quantitative prosody, it appears in experimental or hybrid forms where poets compress or expand traditional feet to achieve a unique rhythmic texture within an eleven-syllable framework.
Example
Example in poetry:
A hexameter line adapted to eleven syllables: “Bright Phoebus rides his golden chariot high” (6 stresses, 11 syllables); “The river flows through meadows green and wide” (iambic hexameter compressed to 11 syllables); “Upon the hill the ancient oak still stands” (six metrical feet, eleven syllables total); A neoclassical line like “Muse, tell me of the man of many turns” rendered in 11-syllable English hexameter
Additional Notes
Eleven-syllable hexameter blends classical hexameter structure (six feet) with an eleven-syllable count—rare in English but used experimentally to merge classical form with modern lyrical needs; requires careful scansion.
Also Known As
Hendecasyllabic hexameter eleven-syllable six-foot line classical hexametric eleven extended hexameter variant
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