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one-foot 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 metrical line consisting of only one foot (e.g., monosyllabic or disyllabic), used for dramatic emphasis, pause, or rhythmic contrast.

Detailed Definition
A one-foot line is a metrical line containing only a single metrical foot (e.g., one iamb: “be-fore”), creating extreme brevity that can heighten dramatic emphasis, mimic breathlessness, or function as a caesura-like pause within a larger stanzaic structure.
Example
Example in poetry:
A metrical line consisting of only one foot, such as "Light" (a single stress); A line consisting of only one trochee: "Singing"; A line consisting of only one iamb: "I weep"; A line used for dramatic pause: "Then sleep";
Additional Notes
one-foot line: A line of verse (regardless of metrical unit) containing only one metrical foot; known formally as monometer; its brevity makes it very emphatic or creates a sense of abruptness or incompleteness.
Also Known As
monometer one-foot verse single-foot line
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