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falling cadence

Sound
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 rhythmic or tonal descent at the end of a line or phrase, suggesting closure

Detailed Definition
Falling cadence describes a metrical or phrasal pattern that ends with unstressed syllables, creating a sense of diminuendo, resignation, or gentle closure; common in trochaic or dactylic lines, it contrasts with rising cadence (iambic/anapestic) and often conveys melancholy, fatigue, or contemplative withdrawal in lyrical poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
The closing lines of Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale”: “Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades…”; A poem ending with soft consonants and unstressed syllables: “and the wind sighed through the trees”; A lullaby-like close: “Sleep now, little one, the moon is low”; A line trailing off: “I thought I heard your voice… but it was only…”
Additional Notes
Falling cadence ends lines or poems with unstressed syllables, creating softness or fade-out; common in feminine endings—use for melancholy, uncertainty, or gentle closure.
Also Known As
Descending cadence Soft close Fading rhythm Gentle resolution closing drop Descending verse Dying Fall
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