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Trochaic tetrameter

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

Line of verse with four trochees (stressed-unstressed syllable pairs)

Detailed Definition
Trochaic tetrameter consists of four trochaic feet per line (stressed-unstressed syllables), creating a driving, emphatic rhythm famously used in Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha; its falling stress pattern lends itself to narrative urgency or incantatory effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
Trochaic tetrameter: Poe’s "The Raven": "Once upon a midnight dreary"; Longfellow’s "Song of Hiawatha": "By the shores of Gitche Gumee"; Shakespeare’s "Macbeth": "Double, double toil and trouble"; Contemporary: Dr. Seuss’s rhythmic children’s verse often uses trochaic tetrameter
Additional Notes
Four trochaic feet per line. Most common trochaic meter in English. Famous in Longfellow's "Hiawatha." Creates strong, emphatic rhythm; study for mastering falling meter.
Also Known As
four-foot trochee falling meter Choreic tetrameter Finnish meter Kalevala meter
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