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Falling meter

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 foot beginning with a stressed syllable followed by one or more unstressed syllables (e.g., trochee, dactyl).

Detailed Definition
Falling meter describes poetic lines that begin with a stressed syllable and end with an unstressed one (e.g., trochaic or dactylic meters), creating a descending rhythmic effect that can convey solemnity, urgency, or melancholy, as in “Tyger Tyger, burning bright.”
Example
Example in poetry:
Falling meter: "Lovely, dark and deep"—lines that begin with stressed syllables and end with unstressed ones (e.g., trochaic or dactylic meter), creating a descending rhythm.
Additional Notes
Meter where stressed syllable followed by unstressed. Trochaic, dactylic meters. Descending rhythm. Opposite: rising meter (iambic, anapestic). Related: metrical feet. Study: emotional effects of falling vs. rising.
Also Known As
Descending rhythm Declining meter Downward beat Trochaic-dactylic pattern Trochaic Trochaic tetrameter
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