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Six-foot 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

A poetic line composed of six metrical feet, such as hexameter (classical) or alexandrine (French), often used for elevated or narrative verse.

Detailed Definition
A six-foot line is a verse line composed of six metrical feet, a length common in classical hexameter but also appearing in modern adaptations. Each foot might be iambic, trochaic, or another meter, and the six-foot line often provides a stately rhythm appropriate for epic or narrative poetry. For instance, Homer’s dactylic hexameter consists of six feet per line, giving his verse grandeur and cadence.
Example
Example in poetry:
Six-foot line (hexameter) is foundational in classical epic: Homer’s “Iliad”: “Sing, O goddess, the anger of Achilles”; Virgil’s “Aeneid”; English attempts: Longfellow’s “Evangeline” (dactylic hexameter); Contemporary example: “Over mountains and rivers and cities now sleeping” (neo-epic); Such lines feel expansive and narrative-driven; Difficult in English due to stress-timed rhythm.
Additional Notes
Six-foot line typically refers to hexameter (classical dactylic or English iambic). Contrast with rising hexameter. In English, often feels expansive—note caesurae that break it into hemistichs for manageability and dramatic pause.
Also Known As
Hexameter Six-foot verse Classical heroic line Hexameter line
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