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speech-rhythm meter

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

Verse meter that mimics the natural cadence and stress patterns of spoken language

Detailed Definition
Speech-rhythm meter is a poetic approach that bases lineation on the natural stresses and pauses of spoken language rather than predetermined metrical feet; it preserves the organic flow of utterance while organizing it into poetic form, as practiced by Robert Frost, who described it as “sentence sounds” shaped into verse through attentive listening.
Example
Example in poetry:
Iambic pentameter mimics English speech rhythm; “The way a crow shook down on me” (Frost) uses speech-rhythm meter; Free verse that follows natural cadence employs speech-rhythm meter; “Let’s go then, you and I” (Eliot) scans as speech-rhythm meter
Additional Notes
Speech-rhythm meter adapts poetic meter to approximate the natural stresses and pauses of spoken English, rather than adhering strictly to classical patterns; foundational in modern blank verse.
Also Known As
Natural-Speech Meter Colloquial Rhythm Organic Beat Conversational Cadence Logaoedic
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