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Substituted six-foot

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 six-foot line employing substitution of one or more expected feet.

Detailed Definition
Substituted six-foot refers to a metrical line in which a standard foot (e.g., an iamb) is replaced by a different foot (e.g., a trochee or spondee) within an otherwise regular six-foot (hexameter) line; this substitution introduces rhythmic variation to emphasize key words, convey emotional shifts, or avoid monotony, as seen in classical dactylic hexameter where spondees slow the pace for solemnity or weight.
Example
Example in poetry:
Substituted six-foot replaces a standard foot with a different metrical unit: In iambic pentameter, inserting a spondee: “Break, BREAK, break” (Tennyson); Using an anapest in trochaic tetrameter: “And the dish ran away with the spoon” (extra unstressed syllable); A pyrrhic foot (“to the”) in otherwise iambic line lightens rhythm; Substitution adds rhythmic variety and emphasis.
Additional Notes
Substituted six-foot|A hexameter (six-foot) line that is used unexpectedly within a poem predominantly written in another meter, such as pentameter, usually for emphasis or deceleration; a type of metrical substitution.
Also Known As
Alexandrine substitute Six-foot line variant Hexameter variation Anaclastic hexameter
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