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Shortened iambic 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 pentameter line made shorter by omitting syllables or feet while retaining iambic rhythm

Detailed Definition
Shortened iambic pentameter is a ten-syllable iambic line reduced to nine or fewer syllables through elision, syncope, or truncation, yet functioning as a complete metrical unit; this variation introduces rhythmic surprise, emotional urgency, or colloquial realism, as when a thought is cut short for dramatic or psychological effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shortened iambic pentameter appears in Emily Dickinson’s hymn meter—trimming to tetrameter/trimeter; modern example: W.H. Auden’s “As I Walked Out One Evening” uses shortened lines for ballad rhythm; this technique increases musicality and urgency; it’s common in hymns and folk poetry; shortened iambic pentameter avoids monotony; it often employs catalexis.
Additional Notes
Shortened iambic pentameter drops one or more syllables from standard decasyllabic line. Related to reduced pentameter. Common in dramatic verse for naturalism—compare with untruncated short iambic to gauge intentional variation.
Also Known As
Shortened heroic line Truncated iambic five-foot Deficient pentameter Curtailed iambic pentameter Iambic pentameter brachycatalectic Reduced pentameter
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