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Speech-like long 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 extended poetic line modeled on the phrasing and flow of spoken language

Detailed Definition
Speech-like long line is an extended poetic line that follows the natural contours of spoken discourse—varying in stress, pause, and clause length—rather than adhering to fixed meter; this technique, central to Whitman and Ginsberg, allows for expansive thought, cataloging, or emotional outpouring while maintaining a grounded, human cadence.
Example
Example in poetry:
Whitman’s “I contain multitudes” line is a speech-like long line; “The world is too much with us; late and soon” (Wordsworth) uses speech-like long line; Confessional poetry often uses long, breath-like lines; “And I will show you something different from either” (Eliot) is a speech-like long line
Additional Notes
Speech-like long line uses extended lines that follow the breath and cadence of spoken language, often in Whitmanesque or Ginsbergian free verse; supports expansive, inclusive expression.
Also Known As
Expansive Speech Line Breath-Driven Verse Unfolding Oral Line Extended Colloquial Stanza Logaoedic hexameter
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