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Extra-truncated 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 with more than usual syllables removed, typically dactylic

Detailed Definition
Extra-truncated tetrameter is a four-foot line (often dactylic) with more syllables omitted than usual—sometimes reducing feet to single stresses—resulting in a stark, abrupt rhythm that conveys urgency, fragmentation, or emotional intensity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Extra-truncated tetrameter: Four-foot lines with extra syllable omissions; Lines missing final beats; Occasional use in experimental poetry; Examples where meter shortens inside tetrameter framework
Additional Notes
Extra-truncated tetrameter: A four-foot line that is shortened significantly by the omission of a large part of the line, usually at the beginning or end; a more severe form of catalexis.
Also Known As
Hyper-truncated tetrameter Extremely shortened four-measure Over-clipped four-foot Super-catalexis tetrameter Dactylic tetrameter brachycatalectic
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