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ionic 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 system based on the Ionic foot, typically two short followed by two long syllables

Detailed Definition
Ionic meter encompasses verse forms based on the Ionic foot—a classical metrical unit typically comprising two long and two short syllables (in quantitative terms)—known for its flowing, dance-like quality and use in ancient Greek choral poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
The Ionic meter (˘ ˘ – –) appears in Sappho’s “Ode to Aphrodite” for lyrical fluidity; Used by Anacreon for light, dance-like love poems; In English, Swinburne imitates Ionic rhythm in “Sapphics” for melodic effect; Greek choral odes often employ Ionic meter for processional or ecstatic passages.
Additional Notes
Ionic meter (˘ ˘ – –) originates in Greek lyric; conveys fluidity and emotional intensity; rarely natural in English but approximated through anapests or dactyls.
Also Known As
Ionic rhythm Ionic foot pattern Aeolic Ionic measure Double iamb Ionic
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