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short iambic line

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

An iambic line containing fewer feet than the norm, producing brisk or clipped rhythm

Detailed Definition
Short iambic line refers to any iambic verse line significantly briefer than the surrounding metrical norm—such as dimeter in a tetrameter poem—used for emphasis, pause, or emotional compression; its abruptness can signal revelation, hesitation, or structural pivot, leveraging brevity against longer lines for dramatic contrast.
Example
Example in poetry:
Short iambic line: “Come home” (iambic dimeter); “The moon” (iambic monometer); In hymns: “Praise God” (dimeter); Contemporary: “Log off” (monometer); Student example: “Wait here” as short iambic line in emergency poem.
Additional Notes
Short iambic line = iambic dimeter/trimeter; creates brisk pace. Common in hymns or refrains—pair with longer lines for rhythmic contrast.
Also Known As
Brief iambic line Dimeter fragment Short rising measure Minimal iambic unit Iambic dimeter
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