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Sapphic adonic

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

The adonic (dactyl-spondee) line appended to Sapphic stanzas for conclusive rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Sapphic adonic closes the Sapphic eleven-syllable lines with a five-syllable unit, as in Sappho's odes for emotional resolution. It provides closure; in lyric poetry, it balances passion with poise, influencing love songs where the short tail echoes heartfelt sighs.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sapphic adonic combines Sapphic with adonic, as in "The wine is sweet, the night is long" (Sapphic adonic); "The stars above shine bright and clear" (Sapphic adonic); "The fire burns with steady flame" (Sapphic adonic); "The bells ring out in evening air" (Sapphic adonic); "The moon shines bright in midnight sky" (Sapphic adonic); "The lute plays soft, the night draws near" (Sapphic adonic).
Additional Notes
Sapphic adonic is the concluding dactyl-spondee line (– ᴗ ᴗ | – –) in a Sapphic stanza; it provides rhythmic closure and emotional finality, anchoring the preceding three eleven-syllable lines.
Also Known As
Adonic line Sapphic ending
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