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extra-short line

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 metrical line shorter than its expected length, often with catalexis

Detailed Definition
An extra-short line is a deliberate metrical or visual truncation within a stanza or poem, where one line contains significantly fewer syllables or stresses than surrounding lines; this technique creates rhythmic disruption, draws attention to specific words or images, or signals emotional fragmentation, and is frequently employed in modern and contemporary poetry to convey vulnerability, urgency, or abrupt shifts in consciousness.
Example
Example in poetry:
Extra-short line: a single word or syllable line for emphasis—“Stop.”; In Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow,” “so much depends / upon” uses brevity to heighten focus; A poem where “No.” stands alone after pages of justification; Contemporary free verse uses micro-lines to control pace and tension; Short lines create visual and rhythmic surprise.
Additional Notes
An extra-short line is a line of verse significantly shorter than the surrounding lines in a poem or stanza, often containing fewer feet or syllables than expected; this abrupt brevity is typically used for dramatic effect, emphasis, concluding an idea, or marking a sudden shift in tone or perspective.
Also Known As
Micro-line Shortest verse Fragment line Extra-brief unit Brachycatalectic line
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