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Unbroken iambic sequence

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 continuous series of iambic feet without substitution, caesura, or variation

Detailed Definition
An unbroken iambic sequence is a sustained run of iambic feet (da-DUM) without metrical variation, creating a hypnotic, rhetorical, or relentless rhythm—as in Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be.” While powerful for emphasis or parody, such rigidity is rare in long poems; its effectiveness lies in contrast with surrounding variation or in conveying obsessive, mechanical, or ceremonial states.
Example
Example in poetry:
Unbroken iambic sequence: “To be or not to be that is the question”; “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”; “When I do count the clock that tells the time”; “Let me not to the marriage of true minds”; “My love is like a red red rose” (approximate iambic flow)
Additional Notes
An unbroken iambic sequence maintains strict da-DUM rhythm without variation, creating hypnotic or rhetorical force. Rare in long poems—use for emphasis or parody of rigidity.
Also Known As
Rising stichic Untruncated long iambic
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