Home › Glossary › Letter H

Horatian pentameter

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

The five-beat or five-foot meter adapted from Horace's usage, combining the flexibility of Latin lyric with English stress patterns; it balances gravitas with conversational ease, often used in philosophical or moral verse.

Detailed Definition
Horatian pentameter refers to a five-foot line in the style of Horace’s odes—often iambic but flexible—characterized by balanced phrasing, understated emotion, and thematic focus on carpe diem, friendship, or poetic legacy; it avoids epic bombast in favor of urbane reflection, influencing English lyric through its fusion of formal control and personal voice.
Example
Example in poetry:
Horatian pentameter: “Integer vitae scelerisque purus” exemplifies Horace’s elegant iambic pentameter adapted from Greek lyric; In English, Ben Jonson’s “Come, my Celia” uses Horatian restraint and measured pentameter; A modern example: “Let us drink while we may, for time flies unseen” blends carpe diem theme with steady iambic flow; Contemporary poets like A.E. Stallings revive Horatian pentameter for witty, philosophical reflection; Such lines balance conversational tone with formal discipline.
Additional Notes
A five-foot line used by Horace, often employed in his Odes, characterized by a specific arrangement of dactyls and trochees; contributes to a stately, formal rhythm distinct from iambic pentameter.
Also Known As
Horatian five-foot line Roman pentameter Latin pentametric verse Alcaic pentameter
Skip to main content