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Mixed four-foot verse

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

Verse using four-foot lines that combine varied metrical patterns—such as iambic and anapestic—to create rhythmic complexity.

Detailed Definition
Tetrameter lines employing varied metrical patterns rather than simple uniform feet, balancing accessibility through familiar four-foot length with sophistication through rhythmic variation. Common in ballads and hymns, this form combines narrative clarity with metrical interest. The four-foot length allows clear progression while varied foot types prevent monotony, creating rhythmic variety within structured framework suitable for extended narratives or lyrics.
Example
Example in poetry:
Mixed four-foot verse appears in Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain,” alternating iambic and anapestic tetrameter; In A.E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young,” varied tetrameter; In contemporary poet Annie Finch’s “Calendars,” mixing dactylic and iambic tetrameter; In W.H. Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening,” shifting four-foot lines.
Additional Notes
Balances accessibility with sophistication through rhythmic variation. Common in ballads and popular forms. The four-foot length allows for clear narrative development.
Also Known As
Varied tetrameter Mixed four-foot Heterometric tetrameter Epitritic tetrameter Mixed four-foot meter
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