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Feminine hexameter

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 dactylic hexameter line ending with an additional unstressed syllable

Detailed Definition
Feminine hexameter refers to a six-foot line of verse ending with a feminine (or double) rhyme—typically an unstressed syllable following the final stressed syllable—creating a softer, more melodic cadence; though rare in classical hexameter (which is quantitative), the term is more commonly applied in accentual-syllabic traditions like French or English poetry to denote rhythmic variation.
Example
Example in poetry:
Feminine hexameter appears in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Aurora Leigh,” using dactylic hexameter with feminine endings; In Longfellow’s “Evangeline,” though masculine-dominant, some lines end with unstressed syllables; Modern poet Annie Finch uses feminine hexameter in “Among the Goddesses” for ritual cadence; In Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” hexameter lines often close with feminine endings; Contemporary classicist poet A.M. Juster adapts feminine hexameter for English satire.
Additional Notes
Hexameter with feminine (two-syllable) ending rather than masculine. Classical meter with softer closure. Compare with masculine hexameter; note how extra syllable affects finality.
Also Known As
hypermetrical hexameter soft-ending hexameter
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