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Hendecasyllabic five-foot

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 five feet totaling eleven syllables, often used in classical and neoclassical verse for rhythmic flexibility.

Detailed Definition
Hendecasyllabic five-foot refers to a metrical line of five poetic feet totaling eleven syllables, commonly achieved by adding a feminine ending to iambic pentameter; this form blends classical discipline with expressive flexibility, allowing poets to maintain rhythmic regularity while introducing subtle variations in cadence and emphasis.
Example
Example in poetry:
“To be, or not to be—that is the question” (5 iambic feet + 1 extra syllable = 11); “When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes” (Shakespeare, 11 syllables); “The quality of mercy is not strain’d” (11 with feminine ending); “And all the air a solemn stillness holds” (Gray, 11-syllable pentameter)
Additional Notes
Hendecasyllabic five-foot verse typically refers to iambic pentameter with a feminine ending (11 syllables); useful for lyrical softness or dramatic pause in dialogue-heavy or introspective poetry.
Also Known As
Five-foot hendecasyllable hendecasyllabic pentameter variant eleven-syllable quintet extended iambic five Hendecasyllabic pentameter
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