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Sapphic pentameter

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 five-unit adaptation of the Sapphic stanza’s final line for standalone use

Detailed Definition
Sapphic pentameter adapts the classical Sapphic line into a five-foot English structure, blending quantitative inspiration with accentual rhythm; it is used in scholarly or experimental verse to honor Sappho’s legacy while accommodating modern prosody.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sapphic pentameter appears in Horace’s Odes I.11: “Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero”; In Swinburne’s “Sapphics,” adapting Sapphic stanza with pentameter-like flow; In Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain,” echoing Sapphic rhythm; In A.E. Housman’s “To an Athlete Dying Young,” modified Sapphic measures; In contemporary poet Annie Finch’s “Sapphic Stanzas for a Girl,” reviving the form.
Additional Notes
Sapphic pentameter applies five-foot measure to Sapphic principles, modern variation. Compare classical Sapphic patterns. Adaptation to English accentual-syllabic verse. Less common than standard Sapphic. Experiment with stress patterns.
Also Known As
Sapphic five-foot Greek lyric pentameter Lesbian Isle middle line Sappho's pentameter Lesbian pentameter
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