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Isometric couplet

Form
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 couplet in which both lines share identical metrical structure, creating rhythmic symmetry and formal cohesion.

Detailed Definition
An isometric couplet is a rhymed pair of lines with identical metrical structure—same number of feet, stress pattern, and syllabic count—ensuring rhythmic symmetry; it provides balanced closure and is foundational in forms like the heroic couplet or epigrammatic verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Isometric couplet: Alexander Pope’s heroic couplets: “True ease in writing comes from art, not chance”; “To err is human; to forgive, divine” balances meter; Contemporary couplets maintaining strict iambic pentameter; “The sun sets slow; the moon climbs fast” matches syllable count; Eco-couplets: “The ice recedes; the seas advance” in equal measure; Isometric couplets in rap: “I spit fire; you just breathe smoke”
Additional Notes
Two successive lines of equal metrical length. Most couplets are isometric. Creates neat, balanced units. Contrast with heterometric couplets (varying lengths). Common in heroic and closed couplets.
Also Known As
matched lines balanced couplet
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