Home › Glossary › Letter H

Hymnal stanza

Form
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

Four-line stanza common in English hymns, usually alternating tetrameter and trimeter.

Detailed Definition
Hymnal stanza: A four-line stanza (often 8.6.8.6 syllables) with an ABAB rhyme scheme, derived from Protestant hymnody; its regular rhythm and alternating line lengths create a singable, devotional cadence frequently adapted in lyric poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hymnal stanza: Four-line stanza in 8.6.8.6 meter: “How firm a foundation…”; Isaac Watts’ hymns standardized this form; Emily Dickinson’s quatrains echo hymnal stanza; Modern devotional poetry using hymnal rhyme (ABAB); Stanzas designed for congregational singing; Contemporary poems using hymnal form for secular reverence
Additional Notes
Four-line stanza in hymn meter (usually 8,6,8,6 or 8,8,8,8 syllables). Related: common meter, long meter, short meter. Study: Emily Dickinson's use of hymn stanza.
Also Known As
Common meter Hymn form Church stanza Sacred measure common quatrain Hymn meter Sacred chant
Skip to main content