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Unstressed ending

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 that ends on an unstressed (feminine) syllable, commonly found in iambic or anapestic verse with feminine rhyme.

Detailed Definition
Unstressed ending refers to a metrical line that concludes with an unstressed syllable—also called a feminine ending—as opposed to a stressed (masculine) close, and it creates a sense of suspension, openness, or gentleness that resists finality; frequently used in iambic pentameter (e.g., Shakespeare’s “To be, or not to be: that is the question”), the unstressed ending allows for smoother enjambment, conversational rhythm, or emotional vulnerability, making it ideal for meditative, questioning, or introspective passages where certainty gives way to ongoing inquiry or lyrical flow.
Example
Example in poetry:
In iambic pentameter, an unstressed ending appears in Shakespeare’s “To be, or not to be, that is the question” (feminine ending); In “Ode to a Nightingale,” Keats uses unstressed endings: “My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains”; In “The Raven,” Poe’s lines end with unstressed “-ing” or “-ed”: “While I nodded, nearly napping”; Emily Dickinson often uses unstressed endings for lyrical flow: “Because I could not stop for Death—”; Contemporary poet Tracy K. Smith uses unstressed endings in “The United States Welcomes You” for bureaucratic monotony.
Additional Notes
Unstressed ending (feminine ending) adds an extra unstressed syllable to a line. Contrast with masculine ending. Softens closure—common in songs or lyrical verse; note how it affects pacing and emotional tone.
Also Known As
Feminine ending Weak close Unaccented ending Lingering syllable close
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