Home › Glossary › Letter S

Structural measure

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 metrical unit that reflects the structural framework of a poem

Detailed Definition
Structural measure refers to the consistent metrical or rhythmic unit that governs a poem’s organization, such as iambic pentameter or trochaic tetrameter, serving as the foundational pulse that shapes phrasing, emphasis, and cadence; beyond mere counting of feet, structural measure interacts with syntax and semantics to produce the poem’s distinctive musicality and emotional texture, anchoring even free verse in implied rhythmic expectations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Structural measure defines the poem’s metrical or stanzaic pattern: Iambic pentameter in blank verse is a structural measure; The 5-7-5 syllable count in haiku is a structural measure; Rhyme scheme ABAB in quatrants is part of structural measure; Free verse may use line length or repetition as its structural measure.
Additional Notes
Structural measure|The basic metrical unit or foot that governs the rhythm and length of the lines in a poem, contributing to its overall architectural form; for example, iambic pentameter is a common structural measure.
Also Known As
Metric measure Verse measure Poetic measure Lineal measure Armature rhythm
Skip to main content