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Sapphic hexameter

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 six-foot metrical line adapting the Sapphic stanza’s rhythmic essence—typically trochaic with a dactylic close—into hexameter.

Detailed Definition
Sapphic hexameter is a misnomer; the Sapphic stanza actually comprises three hendecasyllabic lines followed by a pentasyllabic adonic, not hexameter; named after Sappho, it uses quantitative meter with a distinctive rhythm (– u – – u u – u – –), evoking lyrical intimacy and emotional nuance in ancient Greek and later imitations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sapphic hexameter adapts classical form: “Longing burns in the marrow of my bones”; In Greek, Sappho’s fragments used this meter for emotional intensity; Contemporary poet Anne Carson recreates Sapphic hexameter in “If Not, Winter”; Student exercise: “Moonlight spills on the empty bed you left” as English approximation; Another: “Wind howls through the ruins of our promises.”
Additional Notes
Sapphic hexameter combines Sapphic principles with six-foot line, rare hybrid. Compare standard Sapphic hendecasyllabic. Experimental adaptation. Classical quantity versus English stress creates tension.
Also Known As
Sapphic six-foot Greek lyric hexameter Lesbian Isle long line Sappho's hexameter
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