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Isosyllabism

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

The practice of maintaining equal syllable counts across corresponding lines

Detailed Definition
Isosyllabism is the practice of maintaining an equal number of syllables per line throughout a poem or stanza, regardless of stress pattern; while common in syllabic verse traditions (French, Japanese), it offers English poets a middle ground between strict meter and free verse, promoting rhythmic regularity through count rather than accent, as in Marianne Moore’s syllabic stanzas that balance precision with flexibility.
Example
Example in poetry:
Isosyllabism: Marianne Moore’s syllabic stanzas: 19-22-11-14-19-22; “Each line ten syllables—no exceptions”; Japanese haiku’s strict 5-7-5 isosyllabism; Contemporary formalists counting syllables religiously; Isosyllabic quatrains creating hypnotic rhythm; Eco-poetry using isosyllabism to mirror tidal regularity
Additional Notes
The practice of keeping all lines equal in syllable count. Common in syllabic verse traditions (Japanese, French). Creates formal regularity without stress pattern. Distinct from isometric (equal meter).
Also Known As
syllabic equality equal syllable count
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