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Sapphic meter

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 classical meter consisting of three long lines of eleven syllables followed by a shorter five-syllable line

Detailed Definition
Sapphic meter is a classical Greek lyric form named after Sappho, consisting of stanzas with three 11-syllable lines followed by a 5-syllable Adonic line, creating a distinctive rhythmic cadence. Though challenging to replicate in English due to linguistic differences, poets approximate it using quantitative or stress-based patterns, as in “Like the sweet apple reddening on a high branch.” Its intimacy and musicality make it ideal for love, longing, and personal reflection.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sappho’s fragment: “Like the sweet apple reddening on a high branch”; “That man seems to me peer of gods...” (Sapphic stanza); “Moon has set, and Pleiades— / Midnight passes...” (classic Sapphic); Modern poem using Sapphic meter: “Golden light on quiet hills, / Evening comes with folded wings”; “Softly now the river flows, / Stars awake in indigo”
Additional Notes
Sapphic meter uses a specific quatrain: three 11-syllable lines + one 5-syllable Adonic line. Though challenging in English, it creates distinctive cadence—study Sappho’s fragments for rhythm.
Also Known As
Sapphic Sapphic hendecasyllable
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