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Untruncated reduced line

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 metrical line that maintains complete rhythmic closure without ellipsis

Detailed Definition
Untruncated reduced line describes a metrical line that is intentionally shorter than standard (e.g., a trimeter in a tetrameter context) but remains complete in form—without missing syllables due to truncation—thus functioning as a deliberate, self-contained unit rather than an abbreviated version of a longer norm.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The night is long and full of stars” (untruncated reduced iambic line); “My love is deep and ever true” (complete despite brevity); “The wind sings soft through autumn trees” (full thought in short line); “He stood alone beneath the moon” (untruncated emotional weight)
Additional Notes
Untruncated reduced line maintains full metrical expectation despite syllabic reduction (e.g., via elision). Contrast with catalectic lines. Often preserves rhythm through implied beats—read aloud to hear the ghost syllables.
Also Known As
Untruncated abbreviated line Full reduced measure Complete shortened verse Whole deficient line Hypodactylic tetrameter acatalectic
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