Home › Glossary › Letter R

resonant beat

Sound
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 pronounced rhythmic pulse within a line or stanza that resonates sonically and emotionally, enhancing the poem’s musicality.

Detailed Definition
Resonant beat describes a strong, echoing rhythmic pulse within a line or stanza that lingers in the listener’s memory, often achieved through alliteration, heavy stresses, refrain, or drum-like repetition; it anchors the poem’s sonic landscape, as in Hughes’s jazz-influenced lines or Tennyson’s “Break, break, break,” creating emotional weight and musical cohesion.
Example
Example in poetry:
"The moan of doves in immemorial elms" (Hardy) with echoing consonants; Drum-like repetition in "Break, break, break" (Tennyson); The pounding rhythm in "Beat! Beat! Drums!" (Whitman); Alliterative force in "Full fathom five thy father lies" (Shakespeare); The insistent pulse in "I hear America singing" (Whitman)
Additional Notes
Resonant beat describes a strong, echoing rhythmic pulse that lingers in memory; achieved through alliteration, refrain, or heavy stresses; students should identify beats that anchor the poem (e.g., drum-like lines in Hughes); differs from mere meter by emotional weight; linked to "sonic harmony" and "expressive force."
Also Known As
echoing pulse sonorous rhythm vibrant cadence sound-reflective meter Vibrating measure
Skip to main content