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Rocking foot

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 foot composed of three syllables with a stress pattern short-long-short (e.g., "remember"), creating a rocking or undulating rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Rocking foot is a metrical unit that alternates between iambic (˘ /) and trochaic (/ ˘) patterns within a line or across lines, producing a rhythmic back-and-forth motion reminiscent of a cradle or boat; this technique evokes instability, duality, or meditative oscillation, often used in lullabies or introspective verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
A metrical unit, usually a trochee (′∪) or a dactyl (′∪∪), where the stress falls at the beginning of the foot, giving the rhythm a sense of 'fall' or 'rocking motion.'; The most common example is the trochee, with its heavy-light stress pattern: "Double, double, / toil and trouble." (Trochaic feet).; A dactyl, where the rhythm is ′∪∪, often used for its sweeping, rhythmic quality: "Histo-ry of the world."; Any metrical foot that begins with a stress, creating a feeling of forward momentum that then 'rocks' back with the unstressed syllables.
Additional Notes
Rocking foot is a metrical foot composed of three syllables with the pattern U D U (unstressed-stressed-unstressed); also called an amphibrach.
Also Known As
Balancing foot swaying foot rocking measure Amphibrach
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