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Iambic hexameter

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

A six-foot iambic line, creating extended, flowing narrative rhythm

Detailed Definition
Iambic hexameter is a six-foot iambic line (twelve syllables), sometimes called Alexandrine in English; though less common than pentameter, it appears in transitional or experimental verse, offering a stately, elongated cadence that can close a stanza with heightened formality, as in Spenserian stanzas.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iambic hexameter: Six iambs per line (twelve syllables): “The weary traveler walks alone beneath the starry sky” — sometimes called Alexandrine in French prosody.
Additional Notes
Six iambic feet per line. Alexandrine in English. 12 syllables. Related: hexameter, alexandrine. Study: Pope's "needless Alexandrine" critique—when appropriate.
Also Known As
Iambic six-foot Rising hexameter Twelve-syllable iambic Alexandrine Alexandrine verse
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