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Untruncated pentameter

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 pentameter line that preserves its complete five-beat structure without elision, catalexis, or missing syllables at line-end or mid-line.

Detailed Definition
Untruncated pentameter refers to a five-foot metrical line (commonly iambic) that includes all expected syllables, ending with an unstressed syllable if the meter dictates; this full form supports lyrical expansiveness and conversational nuance, especially in blank verse drama or meditative poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
An iambic pentameter line with no missing syllables: “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?”; “If music be the food of love, play on”; “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players”; “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day”
Additional Notes
Untruncated pentameter: A five-foot line that is metrically complete, containing the full ten syllables expected for regular iambic pentameter or the full count for its established five-foot meter, without being shortened (not catalectic).
Also Known As
Complete pentameter Full five-foot line Uncut pentameter Acatalectic pentameter
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