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Hendecasyllabic

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 metrical line of eleven syllables, widely used in Italian verse (e.g., by Petrarch) and adapted in other Romance traditions.

Detailed Definition
Hendecasyllabic verse consists of lines with eleven syllables, a meter prominent in Italian (e.g., Petrarch) and adapted into English by poets like Algernon Charles Swinburne; it typically follows a rhythmic pattern of unstressed-stressed alternation with a final extra syllable, lending lyrical fluidity and grace.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hendecasyllabic: eleven-syllable lines used by Catullus and Martial; Swinburne’s “Hendecasyllabics” mourns lost love in rolling rhythm; A modern adaptation: “The rain falls soft on empty streets tonight”; Contemporary poets use it for lyrical flexibility between iambic and anapestic; The form balances classical discipline with fluidity.
Additional Notes
Having eleven syllables per line. Common in Italian, Polish poetry. Related: hendecasyllable, syllabic verse. Study: variations across languages—different counting rules.
Also Known As
11-syllable line hendecasyllable verse
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