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Rising measure

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 pattern that ascends from weak to strong stress, such as iambic or anapestic

Detailed Definition
Rising measure describes metrical patterns in poetry—such as iambic or anapestic feet—where the stress falls on the latter part of the unit, creating an upward or forward-moving rhythm; this “rising” quality mimics natural English speech and conveys energy, hope, or progression, contrasting with “falling” measures like trochees that suggest decline or solemnity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iambic meter (unstressed-stressed) is a rising measure: “to-DAY,” “a-RISE”; anapestic meter (unstressed-unstressed-stressed) also rises: “in-ter-VENE”; “The way a crow / Shook down on me” (Frost) uses rising iambic dimeter; “And miles to go before I sleep” rises through iambs.
Additional Notes
Rising measure describes meters that move from weak to strong stress (iambic, anapestic); creates a forward-moving, anticipatory rhythm common in English verse.
Also Known As
Iambic/anapestic meter ascending rhythm light-to-heavy measure upbeat meter Iambus
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