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Triolet

Form
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 eight‑line French form with repeated lines and ABaAabAB rhyme.

Detailed Definition
A triolet is a French fixed-form poem of eight lines with a strict pattern of repetition and rhyme (ABaAabAB), where the first line recurs as the fourth and seventh, and the second as the eighth; its intricate echoic structure creates a lyrical, meditative effect, challenging poets to vary meaning within constrained repetition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Triolet: An eight-line poem with repeated lines: "How great my grief, my joys how few, / Since first it was my fate to know thee!" (Thomas Hardy) — rhyme ABaAabAB.
Additional Notes
Triolet: An eight-line French form with repeated lines 1 and 2 at positions 4 and 7, and line 1 again at 8; rhyme scheme ABaAabAB; prized for its intricate echo.
Also Known As
Eight-line French form Triolet pattern ABaAabAB Repeated-line octave Triplet
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