Home › Glossary › Letter H

Hipponactean verse

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 rare metrical line attributed to Hipponax, combining iambic and trochaic elements with intentional irregularity

Detailed Definition
Hipponactean verse is a rare metrical form named after the Greek poet Hipponax, characterized by irregular, often choliambic (limping iambic) rhythms with a spondaic substitution in the final foot; it conveys a halting, satirical, or colloquial tone, reflecting Hipponax’s use of invective and lowbrow themes in archaic Greek poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hipponactean verse: A classical meter (˘ ˘ ¯ ˘ ¯ ¯), exemplified in Greek lyric; English approximation: “The swift wind rushes through the pines” — mimicking the rhythmic surge of the original form.
Additional Notes
Poetry using hipponactean (choliambic/scazon) meter. Iambic with reversed final foot. "Limping" meter. Related: scazon, classical meters. Study: satirical associations.
Also Known As
choliambic variant limping iamb
Skip to main content