Home › Glossary › Letter T

Trochaic octameter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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-foot trochaic line, creating a driving, emphatic rhythm

Detailed Definition
Trochaic octameter is an eight-foot line of trochees (DUM-da x8), exceptionally long and rare in English verse due to its breathless, torrential pace; it is occasionally used for heightened dramatic effect or parody, as in some Victorian narrative poems seeking to evoke epic grandeur or overwhelming emotion.
Example
Example in poetry:
Trochaic octameter: "TIGER! TIGER! BURNING BRIGHT IN THE FORESTS OF THE NIGHT" (Blake’s "The Tyger," though often cited as tetrameter, extended lines approach octameter in rhythm).
Additional Notes
Eight trochaic feet per line. Very rare; creates exceptionally long line. Compare with tetrameter for practical alternative. Study for understanding extreme metrical extension limits.
Also Known As
Trochaic eight-foot Falling octameter Sixteen-syllable trochaic Extended falling line
Skip to main content