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Stable line

Structure
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 line that remains consistent across stanzas or sections, providing steadiness.

Detailed Definition
A stable line is a verse line that adheres consistently to a given metrical pattern without substitution or truncation, serving as a rhythmic norm against which variations are measured; it provides predictability and grounding, especially in poems that otherwise employ metrical flexibility or disruption.
Example
Example in poetry:
A metrical line with consistent rhythm: "Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?"; "The curfew tolls the knell of parting day"; "To be, or not to be, that is the question"; Regular tetrameter in hymns
Additional Notes
A Stable line refers to a line of verse that maintains the poem's expected or dominant metrical and/or syllabic pattern without variation; it provides a consistent, predictable rhythmic base.
Also Known As
Stable verse steady line balanced poetry line Anchor line
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