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Lesbian pentameter

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 five-foot metrical line rooted in the lyric traditions of ancient Lesbos, often associated with Sappho’s verse.

Detailed Definition
Lesbian pentameter denotes a five-foot line inspired by or associated with Sappho’s lyrical innovations on the island of Lesbos; though Sappho herself did not use pentameter per se, the term sometimes refers to modern adaptations that channel her emotional directness and rhythmic fluidity in extended lyrical forms.
Example
Example in poetry:
A line of quantitative verse consisting of five metrical feet, used in some forms of Aeolic verse (the dialect of Lesbos), distinct from the English accentual-syllabic pentameter
Additional Notes
Lesbian pentameter: An informal or metaphorical term; pentameter means a line with five metrical feet (e.g., iambic pentameter); this likely refers to a five-foot line focused on lesbian themes.
Also Known As
Sapphic pentameter lesbian pentametric line Aeolic pentameter
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