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Galliambic 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

An ancient Greek meter marked by lively, galloping rhythm, often used in hymns to Cybele

Detailed Definition
Galliambic meter is an ancient Greek and Latin verse form associated with the cult of Cybele, composed of two anacreontic cola with a distinctive rhythmic surge and abrupt close; it conveys ecstatic frenzy or ritual lament, rarely imitated but influential in classical studies.
Example
Example in poetry:
Galliambic meter, originally for Cybele’s priests, uses dactylic and anapestic chaos: Catullus 63 employs it for frenzied worship; Translated by Sir Theodore Martin: “With swift foot flying, through forest and glade”; Rare in English; Algernon Swinburne mimics its wildness in “Atalanta in Calydon”; Contemporary experimental poets use irregular dactyls to evoke ritual trance; The meter rejects order for ecstatic disarray; It’s marked by rapid shifts and syncopation.
Additional Notes
Galliambic meter: A highly dramatic and complex ancient Greek meter, often associated with the poetry of Catullus; it consists of lines made of four pairs of a long syllable followed by two short syllables, with specific variations.
Also Known As
Phallic Galliambic Galliambic rhythm ecstatic meter Galliamb Galliambic
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