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Two-beat measure

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 containing two stressed beats, often corresponding to dimeter

Detailed Definition
A two-beat measure (dimeter) creates brevity, urgency, or childlike simplicity through lines of only two stresses; effective in epigrams, refrains, or moments of stark emphasis, it can feel abrupt or incantatory, and is often used sparingly to heighten contrast or deliver punchy emotional or philosophical statements.
Example
Example in poetry:
Two-beat measure uses dimeter for rhythmic brevity, as in Robert Frost’s “Dust of Snow”: “The way a crow / Shook down on me”; In “The Sick Rose,” Blake uses dimeter: “O Rose thou art sick”; Another: “Wind blows. / Snow falls. / Night comes.”
Additional Notes
Two-beat measure (dimeter) creates brevity, urgency, or childlike simplicity; effective in epigrams, refrains, or moments of stark emphasis, but can feel abrupt if overextended.
Also Known As
Dimeter line Dual stress Bimetric foot Dipodic Dipodic stanza
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