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Hypermetrical 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

Verse containing extra, unstressed syllables beyond the expected metrical count

Detailed Definition
Hypermeterical verse refers to poetry that consistently employs lines longer than the standard metrical norm for its form, either through deliberate expansion of feet or inclusion of extrametrical syllables, generating a sense of overflow, urgency, or resistance to formal containment.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Walt Whitman’s free verse, extra syllables accumulate beyond traditional meter, creating hypermetrical verse; In Hart Crane’s “The Bridge,” lines overflow with syllables for ecstatic effect; In Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” long breath-based lines exceed metrical norms; In Christopher Smart’s “Jubilate Agno,” irregular accumulations of praise create hypermetrical verse.
Additional Notes
Hypermetrical verse consistently exceeds standard line lengths, creating a sense of overflow, urgency, or abundance; use sparingly to avoid weakening rhythmic control—often paired with enjambment.
Also Known As
Overflowing verse surplus-meter poetry expansive prosody metrically abundant lines hypermetrical hypermetrical hexameter
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