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Hendecasyllabic verse

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

Poetry composed in lines of eleven syllables, common in classical and Romance-language traditions

Detailed Definition
Hendecasyllabic verse consists of lines with eleven syllables, a form prominent in classical Latin poetry (e.g., Catullus) and later adopted in Italian and other Romance languages; in English, it’s rare but may approximate iambic pentameter with an extra syllable, offering a fluid, conversational rhythm suited to epistolary or meditative tones.
Example
Example in poetry:
Catullus’ opening line: “I hate and I love. Why do I do this, perhaps you ask?”; Martial’s epigrams in hendecasyllabics: “You ask what I get from my Sabine farm?”; Modern example: Anthony Hecht’s “The End of the Weekend,” using 11-syllable lines; Translations of Italian poetry preserving hendecasyllabic flow, like Montale
Additional Notes
Hendecasyllabic verse uses 11-syllable lines, common in Italian poetry (e.g., Petrarch); in English, often approximated with iambic pentameter plus an extra syllable.
Also Known As
Eleven-syllable line Italian hendecasyllable Endecasillabo Lyric hendecasyllabic 11-syllable verse Eleven-fingered Greek eleven-syllable Hendecasyllabic stanza classical eleven eleven-syllable composition Hendécasyllabe
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