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Substitution

Technique
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

Replacing a standard metrical foot with another for rhythmic variation

Detailed Definition
Substitution occurs when a poet inserts a different metrical foot (e.g., a trochee in an iambic line) to avoid monotony or emphasize a word. This controlled deviation maintains overall meter while adding expressive nuance, a hallmark of skilled versification from Shakespeare to contemporary formalists.
Example
Example in poetry:
In iambic pentameter, a trochaic substitution at the start: “Cruel!—when I would plead for peace” (trochee “Cruel” replaces iamb); A spondaic substitution: “Break, break, break” (Tennyson) emphasizes force; Anapestic substitution in tetrameter: “And the sound of a voice that is still” (Longfellow); Pyrrhic substitutions smooth transitions: “To be, or not to be” (the “or not” is pyrrhic); Substitution adds rhythmic variety and emphasis.
Additional Notes
Substitution replaces the expected metrical foot in a line with another (e.g., a trochee in an iambic line) to add emphasis, variation, or natural speech rhythm; common types: trochaic (stressed-unstressed) at line start, spondaic (stressed-stressed) for intensity, pyrrhic (unstressed-unstressed) for fluidity; students should scan lines to identify substitutions and ask why they occur—often marking emotional peaks or caesuras; overuse disrupts meter, but judicious use enlivens it; essential for mastering expressive versification.
Also Known As
Metrical Substitution Foot Substitution Displacement
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