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Phallic

Foot
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 foot associated with phallic hymns, typically a cretic (– ˘ –) or ionic variant

Detailed Definition
Phallic meter derives from ancient processional hymns honoring fertility gods, often employing cretic (– ˘ –) or ionic rhythms to evoke rhythmic insistence; while not a standardized foot in English, the term appears in classical prosody to denote ecstatic or ritualistic verse, and its inclusion in glossaries reflects historical links between meter and ceremonial performance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Phallic meter, associated with fertility rites, uses ithyphallic (– u – u –) lines; In Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” phallic songs mock war with bawdy rhythms; The form appears in ancient hymns to Dionysus: “Come, phallus-bearer, joyous one!”; English poets avoid direct use, but Rabelaisian verse echoes its spirit; Phallic meter is rare but symbolically potent; It combines trochaic and iambic elements for driving energy.
Additional Notes
Phallic: Refers to verse associated with phallic songs or processional hymns in ancient Greece, often using reizianum or ionic meters; characterized by lively, sometimes lewd rhythms; useful for studying the origins of comedy and the intersection of ritual and poetic form.
Also Known As
Phallic meter
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