Home › Glossary › Letter H

Hypermetric trochee

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 trochaic line with extra syllables, extending the falling rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Hypermetric trochee adds surplus to trochees, used in ballads for emphatic close. It prolongs descent; poets use it for lingering melancholy in folk traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Hypermetric trochee adds an extra syllable to a trochee, as in "The wind, it blows" (hypermetric); "The stars, they shine" (hypermetric trochee); "The fire, it burns" (hypermetric); "The bells, they ring" (hypermetric trochee); "The river, flows" (hypermetric); "The moon, it rises" (hypermetric trochee).
Additional Notes
Hypermetric trochee adds extra syllables to a trochaic line, extending its fall; this overflow emphasizes emotion or insistence, often used in incantations or impassioned speeches.
Also Known As
Expanded trochee overflowing trochaic
Skip to main content