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Trochaic dimeter

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 two-foot line of trochees (— ∪ — ∪), often catalectic in dramatic contexts

Detailed Definition
Trochaic dimeter is a two-foot line of trochees (stressed-unstressed: DUM-da DUM-da), creating a brisk, emphatic rhythm; though short, it is effective in hymns, nursery rhymes, or refrains—such as in Blake’s “The Tiger” (“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright”)—where its punchy cadence enhances memorability and intensity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Trochaic dimeter (‒ ˘ x2) creates emphatic rhythm: Blake’s “The Tyger” (“Tyger! Tyger! burning bright”); Poe’s “The Raven” (“Once upon a midnight dreary”); contemporary examples include Dr. Seuss’s emphatic lines; W.B. Yeats’ “The Song of Wandering Aengus”; nursery rhymes like “Hickory Dickory Dock.”
Additional Notes
Two trochaic feet per line (stressed-unstressed pattern twice). Creates bouncing, emphatic rhythm. Common in children's verse. Example: "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater."
Also Known As
Two-stress trochaic Trochaic two-foot Short trochaic line Falling dimeter choreic four-measure Classical dimeter
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