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Metrical step

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

An alternative description for a foot, marking a single rhythmic unit

Detailed Definition
Metrical step is the basic rhythmic unit or foot (iamb, trochee, dactyl, etc.) that constitutes the building block of a poem’s meter; understanding metrical steps allows poets to manipulate pace, emphasis, and mood—substituting spondees for weight, anapests for lift—so that the “step” becomes both technical foundation and expressive tool, as in the marching iambs of “The Raven” versus the galloping anapests of “The Destruction of Sennacherib.”
Example
Example in poetry:
One rhythmic unit, such as an iamb, identified in a poem; Counting metrical steps per line; Marking each foot in a scansion; Identifying metrical building blocks.
Additional Notes
The individual metrical unit—a foot—that, when repeated, constitutes a line's meter. Mapping metrical steps helps maintain consistent meter and reveals where variation occurs. Related to the foot, scansion, and prosody. Contrasts with the broader concept of rhythm. Learners should practice scanning line by line, labeling each foot, before making claims about a poem's metrical pattern or its deliberate deviations.
Also Known As
Metrical unit Rhythmic step Verse beat Foot marker Footfall
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