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Nonasyllabic measure

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 line consisting of nine syllables, used in certain poetic traditions outside strict accentual-syllabic norms.

Detailed Definition
A metrical pattern based on nine-syllable units, whether composed of various combinations of metrical feet or measured syllabically. The specific arrangement of stresses within the nine syllables varies, but the total count defines the measure. This pattern's odd number creates asymmetry potentially useful for particular effects, though the nine-syllable line appears less frequently than even-numbered measures in English verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Verse lines with nine syllables in medieval ballads; Nonasyllabic measure in early French chansons; Browning’s experimental nine-syllable dramatic monologues; Modernist poem lines counted to nine for rhythm; Exercise in class scanning nine syllable lines from varied poets
Additional Notes
Metrical pattern based on nine-syllable unit. Various feet combinations can create nine-syllable line. The odd number creates asymmetry potentially useful for particular effects.
Also Known As
Enneasyllabic meter Nine-syllable measure Nonasyllabic pattern Enneadic rhythm Enneasyllable
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