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interrupted meter

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 metrical pattern deliberately disrupted or suspended for expressive effect, often to signal emotional intensity or thematic rupture.

Detailed Definition
Interrupted meter occurs when a regular metrical pattern is deliberately broken by an unexpected stress, pause, or syllabic variation, often to mirror emotional disruption, mimic speech rhythms, or emphasize a key word; this technique introduces tension and realism into otherwise formal structures.
Example
Example in poetry:
Meter interrupted: “The stars— / shone bright”; False stop breaking rhythm; Line cut then continued off-beat; Disrupted verse rhythm shifting midway
Additional Notes
interrupted meter: A metrical pattern that is temporarily disrupted by the insertion of a line or lines with a different, often contrasting, rhythm or length; the break draws attention to the content of the interpolated line; related to substitution.
Also Known As
broken meter interrupted rhythm disrupted cadence fractured verse disrupted rhythm
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