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Spondaic substitution

Device
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

Substituting a spondee (two stressed syllables) into a metrical pattern

Detailed Definition
Spondaic substitution occurs when a spondee (two stressed syllables) replaces a standard metrical foot—such as an iamb or trochee—in a line of verse, often to emphasize a word, slow the rhythm, or convey weight, urgency, or solemnity within the prevailing meter.
Example
Example in poetry:
Spondaic substitution: In iambic pentameter, "White founts falling in the courts of the sun" (Kipling) substitutes spondees for emphasis; Shakespeare’s "Richard III": "Dogs bark at night" uses spondaic start; Frost’s "Stopping by Woods": "The woods are lovely, dark and deep" ends with spondaic weight; Auden’s "Lullaby" inserts spondees to disrupt lulling rhythm
Additional Notes
Spondaic substitution: Replacing a regular foot (e.g., iamb) with a spondee (two stressed syllables) for emphasis or rhythmic disruption; often used at line beginnings or climactic moments.
Also Known As
Double stress Heavy substitution Strong-stress replacement Emphatic foot
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