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Metrical unit

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 basic rhythmic component of a line of verse, such as an iamb or trochee

Explore this topic in depth (2)

Tanka — Tanka is a short Japanese poem traditionally patterned 5–7–5–7–7, though its units are morae rather than English syllables. Its small scale can hold a striking movement: from scene to feeling, statement to response, or one image to another.

How to Scan a Poem — Scansion is the practice of listening closely to a poem’s rhythm and marking its pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. It is not a way of forcing every line into a formula, but a method for hearing how regularity, variation and natural speech work together.

Detailed Definition
A metrical unit is the basic rhythmic building block of a poetic line, typically a foot composed of stressed and unstressed syllables (e.g., iamb, trochee); these units repeat to form meter, establishing the poem’s sonic foundation and influencing its pace, tone, and emotional impact through patterns of recurrence and variation.
Example
Example in poetry:
The iamb (unstressed-stressed) as in “be-fore”; The trochee (stressed-unstressed) as in “dou-ble”; The dactyl (stressed-unstressed-unstressed) as in “mer-ri-ly”; The anapest (unstressed-unstressed-stressed) as in “in-ter-rupt”
Additional Notes
A metrical unit (or foot) is the basic rhythmic building block of a line (e.g., iamb, trochee); understanding units is essential for scansion and prosody.
Also Known As
Metrical foot Rhythmic cell Prosodic unit Beat group Articulated unit Foot Metrical step Syllable Verse measure Metron
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