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Epitritic 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 line incorporating epitrites (three longs and one short in variation)

Detailed Definition
Epitritic tetrameter comprises four epitritic feet per line, creating a flexible, rolling cadence that alternates between heavy and light stresses; this meter, rooted in ancient Greek lyric poetry, supports complex emotional tones by resisting predictable rhythmic patterns.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pindar’s victory odes use epitritic tetrameter in triadic structure; Latin adaptations by Horace; English examples in Ben Jonson’s “Hymn to Cynthia”; Robert Herrick’s “Corinna’s Going A-Maying” uses light epitritic tetrameter; A.C. Swinburne’s “The Garden of Proserpine” uses varied tetrameter including epitritic; Contemporary poet Marilyn Hacker uses epitritic tetrameter in sonnet variations.
Additional Notes
Four epitrite feet per line. Rare meter—16 syllables (approximately). Classical quantitative prosody. Stately rhythm. Related: epitritic meters, tetrameter forms. Study: effect of sustained epitrites.
Also Known As
Four-epitrite line Complex tetrameter Mixed four-foot verse Compound four-measure
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