Home › Glossary › Letter I

Ionic dimeter

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 two-foot line composed of ionic feet (two longs followed by two shorts, or vice versa)

Detailed Definition
Ionic dimeter is a metrical line composed of two Ionic feet, each typically a four-syllable unit with a u u / / or / / u u pattern; rare in English, it appears in classical adaptations or experimental verse seeking a rolling, double-iambic cadence that evokes ancient Greek lyric traditions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sappho’s Fragment 31 uses Ionic dimeter: “φαίνεταί μοι κῆνος ἴσος θέοισιν” (That man seems to me equal to the gods); Anacreon’s drinking songs employ Ionic dimeter for festive rhythm; Contemporary poet Anne Carson mimics Ionic dimeter in “The Beauty of the Husband” for emotional cadence; Ezra Pound’s “Canto I” adapts Ionic dimeter from Homer; Greek tragedy choruses use Ionic dimeter for lyrical passages; Robert Herrick’s “To the Virgins” echoes Ionic dimeter in “Gather ye Rose-buds.”
Additional Notes
Two Ionic feet per line. In Ionic a maiore: four longs, four shorts. Rare but creates distinctive rolling rhythm. Study classical Greek lyrics for examples. Compare with other dimeter forms for length.
Also Known As
Greek short meter Ionic two-foot Classical brief line Double-short measure Ionic a minore
Skip to main content