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epic 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 of dactylic meter (— ∪ ∪), used in classical Greek and Latin epic poetry; it provides the stately, rolling rhythm essential to Homeric and Virgilian hexameter, evoking grandeur and narrative sweep.

Detailed Definition
Epic hexameter is the classical meter of ancient Greek and Roman narrative poetry—such as Homer’s Iliad or Virgil’s Aeneid—composed of six feet per line, typically dactyls (long-short-short) with a spondee substitution; though difficult to replicate in English, its grandeur and fluidity have inspired neoclassical adaptations and modern experiments in long-form verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Homer’s “Iliad,” Book 1: “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles son of Peleus”; Virgil’s “Aeneid,” opening line in dactylic hexameter; A modern attempt: “The weary sailor sought the shore, his ship in splinters, hope no more”; A translation preserving hexameter: “Arms and the man I sing, who first from Trojan coast…”
Additional Notes
Epic hexameter is dactylic hexameter used in classical epics (Homer, Virgil); it’s grand and narrative-driven—modern attempts often adapt it loosely for thematic resonance.
Also Known As
Heroic hexameter Classical epic line Dactylic grandeur Narrative hexameter Classical hexameter Greek long line Epic rhythm Epic line
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