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Long-short-short pattern

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 arrangement of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed

Detailed Definition
Long-short-short pattern is the foundational rhythm of the dactylic foot, whether interpreted quantitatively (syllable length) or qualitatively (stress); it creates a falling, melodic cadence that poets use for solemnity, speed, or lyrical sweep, though it resists natural English speech patterns.
Example
Example in poetry:
Greek dactyls follow long-short-short pattern (— ∪ ∪); Homer’s Iliad opens with dactylic long-short-short pattern; Virgil’s Aeneid continues dactylic long-short-short tradition; Longfellow’s “Evangeline” uses English dactylic long-short-short: “This is the forest primeval”; Anne Carson’s “Autobiography of Red” adapts long-short-short pattern for narrative; Derek Walcott’s “Omeros” blends long-short-short with Creole rhythms.
Additional Notes
Long-short-short pattern is the definition of a dactyl (– u u); essential for identifying falling rhythm.
Also Known As
Dactylic rhythm Triple falling pattern Descending trisyllabic meter Long-short-short sequence Dactylic
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