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four-unit choriamb

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 verse line built from four choriambic feet (– ˘ ˘ –), creating a rhythmic pattern of expansion and contraction.

Detailed Definition
Four-unit choriamb is a line composed of four choriambic feet (DUM-da-da-DUM), producing a majestic, undulating rhythm that balances strength and fluidity; this classical meter, extended across four units, lends itself to elevated, ceremonial, or meditative verse, where its symmetrical cadence evokes order, cosmic harmony, or solemn reflection.
Example
Example in poetry:
Classical four-unit choriambic lines; Greek and Latin lyric poetry; Modern reproductions of choriambic tetrameter; Repeated stressed-unstressed-unstressed-stressed feet.
Additional Notes
A four-unit choriamb is synonymous with the four-foot choriambic line; it contains four repetitions of the choriambic foot (–⌣⌣–) and is used to describe the complex, classical meter that creates a distinctive, energetic rhythm in a line of verse.
Also Known As
Choriamb of four units quadrate choriambic tetradic choriamb Choriambic tetrameter
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