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Extended iambic 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

An iambic tetrameter line extended beyond its standard eight syllables, creating rhythmic elasticity or emphasis.

Detailed Definition
Extended iambic tetrameter describes a four-foot iambic line (da-DUM x4) that incorporates additional unstressed or stressed syllables—either at the beginning, middle, or end—thereby stretching the standard eight-syllable pattern; this metrical flexibility allows poets to maintain rhythmic drive while accommodating natural speech rhythms, emotional emphasis, or narrative complexity, commonly found in lyrical or meditative verse seeking both musicality and expressive nuance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Longfellow’s Evangeline: “This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the hemlocks…” using iambic tetrameter with four beats per line
Additional Notes
Extended iambic tetrameter is a metrical line that mostly follows the pattern of four iambic feet (four pairs of unstressed/stressed syllables) but includes occasional metrical variations or extra-metrical syllables, making the line slightly longer than the standard eight syllables; this variation keeps the rhythm lively and prevents monotony, a common tactic in narrative poetry.
Also Known As
Extended four-foot iambic Prolonged iambic tetrameter Hyperiambic tetrameter Iambic tetrameter hypercatalectic Overlong four-foot iambic
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