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fourteener (if iambic)

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 line of fourteen syllables in iambic heptameter, common in early English poetry

Detailed Definition
A fourteener, when iambic, is a metrical line of fourteen syllables arranged in seven iambic feet (iambic heptameter), historically used in English ballads and narrative verse; its extended length allows for expansive storytelling and rhythmic momentum, though its unwieldiness led to its decline in favor of shorter, more agile lines.
Example
Example in poetry:
“With how sad steps, O Moon, thou climb’st the skies!” (Sir Philip Sidney); “And ever against eating cares, Lap me in soft Lydian airs” (Milton); “The boy stands in the burning barn and sings” (contemporary iambic heptameter); “When I consider how my light is spent” (Milton, though usually 10, some variants stretch to 14)
Additional Notes
A fourteener (iambic heptameter) is a 14-syllable line with seven iambic feet; popular in 16th–17th century English ballads and translations (e.g., Chapman’s Homer), it offers expansive rhythm but risks monotony without variation.
Also Known As
Iambic heptameter fourteen-syllable line ballad fourteen heroic fourteen Heptameter
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