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Sprung iambic

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

Gerard Manley Hopkins' iambic variant with extra stresses for dynamic, energetic rhythm.

Detailed Definition
Sprung iambic, coined by Hopkins, adds unstressed syllables and stresses beyond norm, as in The Windhover for vitality. It energizes faith; in Victorian poetry, it captures divine energy, revolutionizing meter to express spiritual ecstasy through rhythmic "springs."
Example
Example in poetry:
Sprung iambic uses irregular stress patterns with iambic base, as in Gerard Manley Hopkins’ “The Windhover”: "I caught this morning morning’s minion, king-" (sprung iambic with doubling); "Brute beauty and valour and act, oh, air, pride, plume, here" (variable stress); "Not the full star in heaven, but a spark" (sprung iambic variation); "What I do is me: for that I came" (sprung iambic clarity); "My heart in hiding stirs for home" (sprung iambic rhythm); "Roller of blood, the heart’s long language" (sprung iambic flow).
Additional Notes
Sprung iambic adapts Hopkins’ sprung rhythm using an iambic base but allows multiple consecutive stresses within a foot, breaking from strict syllable pairing; this variant generates dynamic, explosive energy and mimics natural speech rhythms in heightened emotional states.
Also Known As
Hopkinsian iambic stress-based iambic
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