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Hendecasyllabic 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

A metrical line consisting of eleven syllables, common in classical and Romance-language poetry

Detailed Definition
Hendecasyllabic meter is an eleven-syllable line prominent in Italian and Latin poetry (e.g., Catullus), typically structured with a caesura and specific stress patterns; in English, it offers a flexible alternative to pentameter, allowing lyrical fluidity and conversational ease while retaining formal elegance, as used by poets like Algernon Charles Swinburne.
Example
Example in poetry:
Catullus’s poems using 11-syllable lines (e.g., “I hate and I love”); A modern poem: “The clock ticks eleven, the night holds its breath”; A line like “Beneath the moon’s cold and silver stare”; A translation of Horace preserving hendecasyllabic rhythm.
Additional Notes
Hendecasyllabic meter uses 11-syllable lines, common in Latin (Catullus) and Italian poetry; it’s flexible and lyrical—English adaptations often approximate its flow.
Also Known As
Eleven-syllable line Phalaecean meter Latin hendecasyllable Lyric eleven Catullan measure Eleven-digit measure eleven-syllable meter
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