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Overhanging line

Structure
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 verse line that visually or thematically extends beyond the structure of the poem.

Detailed Definition
An overhanging line is a metrical line that extends beyond the established rhythmic pattern of its stanza—containing extra syllables or feet—to create emphasis, disruption, or breathless urgency, functioning as a controlled formal irregularity within an otherwise regular structure.
Example
Example in poetry:
A line that extends beyond the typical or expected length of the lines in the rest of the stanza or poem; A line of iambic pentameter suddenly replaced by a line of iambic hexameter (Alexandrine); A stanza where the final line is noticeably longer than the preceding lines, creating a visual and rhythmic weight; A single line of free verse in a poem mostly composed of short, trimeter lines.
Additional Notes
Overhanging line: A line of verse that extends beyond the typical or expected line length of the poem's dominant meter or form; often used for emphasis, for an unexpected rush of language, or to break the metrical flow.
Also Known As
suspended line dangling line overhanging verse Cantilevered line
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