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Truncated choriambic hexameter

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 shortened or catalectic version of the six-foot choriambic line

Detailed Definition
Truncated choriambic hexameter is a six-foot line based on the choriamb (stressed-unstressed-unstressed-stressed) but shortened by omitting syllables, yielding a compact, stately rhythm; rare in English, it may appear in neoclassical or experimental verse seeking to evoke Greek lyric austerity through metrical compression and balanced stress patterns.
Example
Example in poetry:
Choriamb: stressed-unstressed-unstressed-stressed (e.g., “LOVing KINDness”); Truncated choriambic hexameter: “LOVing KINDness, HEAVen’s GIFT” — two choriambic feet instead of six; Rare in English; Example: “DOUble FOLly, BITter SWEET” — compressed choriambic rhythm
Additional Notes
Truncated choriambic hexameter|A rare meter where a line of six choriambs (− u u−) is shortened (truncated) by omitting a syllable or a foot, making the rhythm feel clipped or incomplete.
Also Known As
Truncated choriambic six-foot Curt choriambic hexameter Abridged choriambic line Choriambic hexameter catalectic
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