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Stichic pentameter

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

A continuous poem composed entirely of pentameter lines without stanza breaks

Detailed Definition
Stichic pentameter describes poetry composed in continuous lines of iambic pentameter without stanzaic breaks, creating a flowing, unsegmented texture; this form is characteristic of blank verse, as seen in Shakespeare’s plays or Milton’s Paradise Lost, where the absence of stanzas supports narrative continuity and dramatic speech.
Example
Example in poetry:
Stichic pentameter: Continuous unrhymed iambic pentameter without stanza breaks, as in Milton’s Paradise Lost: "Of Man’s first disobedience, and the fruit..."
Additional Notes
Five-foot continuous verse without stanza breaks. Blank verse's most common form. Study Shakespeare, Milton for mastery. Enjambment crucial for maintaining interest across unbroken lines.
Also Known As
Continuous pentameter Stichic five-foot Unbroken middle line Sequential pentameter
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