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Epitritic dimeter

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 two-foot line incorporating epitritic substitution (three longs, one short)

Detailed Definition
Epitritic dimeter consists of two epitritic feet per line, each typically combining a spondee and an iamb (– – ∪ –), producing a compact yet varied rhythm; this rare meter appears in classical choral poetry to convey solemnity or ceremonial gravity within a brief span.
Example
Example in poetry:
Classical examples include Pindar’s choral odes using epitritic dimeter; English approximations appear in Robert Herrick’s “Delight in Disorder”: “A sweet disorder in the dress”; Ben Jonson’s masques used epitritic dimeter for dance rhythms; Thomas Campion’s lyrics mimic classical dimeters; Modern revivals in Annie Finch’s “Calendars”; Contemporary use in formalist poetry journals like “Measure.”
Additional Notes
Two epitrite feet per line. Very rare meter—gravity and weight emphasized. Classical prosody. Each foot: three long + one short. Related: quantitative verse, epitritic forms.
Also Known As
Two-epitrite line Complex dimeter Mixed two-foot verse Compound double measure
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