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Tetrameter line

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 metrical line consisting of four rhythmic units (feet), commonly iambic or trochaic, forming a standard measure in English verse.

Detailed Definition
A tetrameter line is a verse line containing four metrical feet, most commonly iambic (da-DUM ×4), used in ballads, hymns, and narrative poetry for its steady, song-like rhythm; examples include “The curfew tolls the knell of parting day” (Gray) and “I wandered lonely as a cloud” (Wordsworth).
Example
Example in poetry:
“The curfew tolls the knell of parting day” (Gray); “I wandered lonely as a cloud” (Wordsworth); “The woods are lovely, dark and deep” (Frost); “And miles to go before I sleep” (Frost)
Additional Notes
A tetrameter line contains four metrical feet—common in English ballads (iambic tetrameter alternating with trimeter) and hymns; offers rhythmic steadiness suitable for narrative or lyrical content.
Also Known As
Four-beat line tetrametric verse iambic tetrameter rhythmic four-stress line Four-long measure Eight-syllable line Tetrapody
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