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Trochaic pentameter hypercatalectic

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 of five trochaic feet (stressed-unstressed) that ends with an additional unstressed syllable, creating a feminine or hypercatalectic termination.

Detailed Definition
Trochaic pentameter hypercatalectic is a five-trochee line with an added unstressed syllable at the end (DUM-da x5 da), softening the final beat and creating a lilting, feminine cadence; this variation introduces rhythmic flexibility into an otherwise driving meter, allowing for lyrical nuance within trochaic intensity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare rarely uses trochaic pentameter hypercatalectic, but in Macbeth’s witches: “Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn” (11 syllables, ending stressed); In “The Tempest,” Caliban’s song: “No more dams I’ll make for fish, nor weave” shows hypercatalectic trochaic pentameter; John Skelton’s “Ware the Hauke” uses hypercatalectic trochaic lines for comic effect; In “The Witch” by Thomas Middleton, the line “Blacke spirits and white, blue spirits and grey” demonstrates this meter; Contemporary experimental poets like Christian Bök occasionally revive this form for rhythmic disruption.
Additional Notes
Five trochaic feet plus extra syllable(s) beyond complete pattern. Creates extended line effect. Rare variation. See acatalectic and catalectic versions for standard forms.
Also Known As
Extended trochaic pentameter Overlong five-foot falling Surplus trochaic pentameter Hyper-extended falling line
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