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Supererogatory 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

An extra line added beyond a form’s prescribed structure, used for emphasis, surprise, or thematic extension.

Detailed Definition
A supererogatory line is a verse line that exceeds the expected metrical or thematic economy of a poem, often perceived as redundant or ornamental; while sometimes criticized as excessive, such lines may serve ironic, parodic, or accumulative purposes in baroque, surrealist, or postmodern poetry to challenge notions of poetic necessity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Supererogatory line in Shakespearean drama: extra line beyond meter for emphasis; In Milton: occasional hexameter in pentameter context as supererogatory; Supererogatory line in contemporary free verse: sudden rhyme in unrhymed poem; Example: a single iambic pentameter in a prose poem for ironic contrast
Additional Notes
Line exceeding formal requirements, adding extra element. Rhetorical excess. Related to hypercatalexis. Tip: Count expected syllables/feet; notice overfull line for emphatic effect.
Also Known As
Extra line Unnecessary verse Surplus measure Beyond-required line
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