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Monometer line

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 poetic line consisting of a single metrical foot, often used for dramatic emphasis or fragmentation

Detailed Definition
Monometer line is a metrical line containing only one foot, making it extremely brief—often two to three syllables; its stark minimalism creates dramatic emphasis or fragmentation, used sparingly in nursery rhymes, modernist poetry, or as a contrast within longer-lined stanzas.
Example
Example in poetry:
Monometer line: “Hark!”; “Stop.”; “Run!”; In Herbert’s “Easter Wings”: short lines mimic falling; Modern: “Yes. / No. / Maybe.”; One foot only; often imperative or exclamatory; packs intensity in minimal space.
Additional Notes
Monometer line contains one metrical foot. Creates abrupt, emphatic rhythm. Often used sparingly within longer-metered poems for dramatic punctuation. See George Herbert for experimental uses. Difficult to sustain.
Also Known As
Single-foot line One-measure verse Shortest line Mono-measure
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