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missing final syllable

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 omission in which the final expected syllable of a line is dropped, often creating a truncated or abrupt effect.

Detailed Definition
A missing final syllable describes a metrical truncation in which the expected concluding syllable of a line is omitted, often creating a feminine-to-masculine rhyme shift or a jarring pause; this technique can convey abruptness, urgency, or incompleteness in lyrical expression.
Example
Example in poetry:
A line of iambic pentameter that ends on a stressed syllable but is missing the final expected unstressed syllable, resulting in a truncated or catalectic line; A line intended to be dactylic, where the final foot is a trochee (DUM-da) instead of the full dactyl (DUM-da-da); A trochaic line that ends on a single stressed syllable rather than the full trochee; A line whose syntax suggests a word has been omitted purely for the sake of meter or rhythm.
Additional Notes
missing final syllable: A line that ends with a stressed syllable when the expected metrical pattern requires an unstressed one, often resulting in a truncated line or a catalectic meter.
Also Known As
Catalectic line missing syllable dropped final syllable Catalectic
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