Home › Glossary › Letter M

Maxim triplet

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 three-line stanza centered on a single maxim, aphorism, or moral truth, often with epigrammatic brevity.

Detailed Definition
Maxim triplet consists of three lines delivering a condensed piece of wisdom or observation, often with parallel structure or rhythmic balance; this form combines the aphoristic force of the maxim with the triadic stability of the triplet, enhancing memorability and rhetorical impact.
Example
Example in poetry:
Maxim triplet (A three-line stanza that is constructed to deliver a concise, memorable moral or universal truth); A tercet that reads: "Wisdom speaks best when sorrow has grown old, / The heart is blind when hands are full of gold, / Thus are the lessons of the ages told"; A short, moralistic haiku-like tercet
Additional Notes
A three-line stanza that presents a concise moral, philosophical, or practical rule of conduct; related to the distich (two lines) or epigram.
Also Known As
Aphoristic triplet gnomic triplet wisdom triplet
Skip to main content