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Epitrite catalectic

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

Epitrite catalectic: A metrical line using the epitrite foot (three long syllables and one short) that is truncated, shortening its weighty emphasis to produce a lighter, more abrupt ending.

Detailed Definition
Epitrite catalectic clips long syllables, used in quantitative variants for lighter gravity. It tempers weight; poets use it in odes to balance solemnity with accessibility.
Example
Example in poetry:
The epitrite catalectic (u / / u - ) truncates the final syllable of an epitrite foot, as in "The wind, it blew" (final unstressed omitted); "Stars shining bright" (catalectic form with missing syllable); "Fire burning fierce" (truncated after stressed syllable); "Bells ringing loud" (epitrite cut short); "River flowing fast" (catalectic structure); "Moon rising high" (epitrite with final syllable dropped).
Additional Notes
Epitrite catalectic shortens an epitrite (a foot with three long and one short syllable in various positions), reducing its weight; this adaptation maintains complexity while increasing agility in choral or liturgical meters.
Also Known As
Catalectic epitrite shortened epitrite
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