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Five-epitrite 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 classical metrical line composed of five epitritic feet (DUM-DUM-da-DUM), used for heightened emotional or dramatic effect.

Detailed Definition
A classical metrical construction combining five epitrites in a single line, each epitrite containing three long syllables and one short syllable. This highly technical term from ancient prosody requires understanding of quantitative meter principles where syllable length rather than stress determines rhythm. Rarely encountered in English verse analysis, it remains more relevant for students of classical Greek and Latin poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Five-epitrite line (‒ ˘ ˘ ˘ x5) is rare but appears in classical adaptations: Greek choral odes use epitrites; Horace occasionally blends epitrites with other feet; modern attempts include A.E. Stallings’ metrical experiments; Robert Bridges’ “The Testament of Beauty” adapts complex meters; Victorian hymns sometimes used epitritic cadences for emphasis.
Additional Notes
Highly technical classical metrical term. Rarely encountered in English poetry analysis. More relevant for students of classical languages and comparative prosody.
Also Known As
Quintuple epitrite Five-epitrite measure Classical five-unit Epitritic pentameter
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