Home › Glossary › Letter P

Phallic pentameter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 five-foot line imbued with symbolic or rhythmic associations of masculinity or verticality

Detailed Definition
Phallic pentameter refers to iambic pentameter lines charged with assertive, dominant, or aggressive thematic content, where the traditional “masculine” rhythm is leveraged to embody patriarchal or heroic postures, often deconstructed in modern poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
A line like “STRONG is the MAN who WALKS with PRIDE” in iambic pentameter with emphatic stresses; Shakespeare’s “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war” uses upright, commanding rhythm; Milton’s “Rocks, caves, lakes, fens, bogs, dens, and shades of death” employs pentameter with heavy stresses; A modern line: “TALL stands the TREE against the SKY” in iambic pentameter.
Additional Notes
Phallic pentameter describes iambic or trochaic pentameter with emphatic, vertical stresses; used metaphorically to suggest strength or authority; not a standard prosodic term.
Also Known As
Upright pentameter Vertical five-foot Masculine pentameter Ithyphallic pentameter
Skip to main content