Home › Glossary › Letter V

Variable meter

Meter
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Poetry that intentionally changes metrical patterns throughout the work

Detailed Definition
Variable meter: Poetry that intentionally shifts between different metrical patterns rather than maintaining consistent meter, using metrical variation as an expressive device to create emphasis, surprise, or rhythmic complexity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Poetry that intentionally changes metrical patterns; verse with deliberately shifting rhythms; works that vary meter for effect; metrically flexible poetry
Additional Notes
Poetry intentionally changing metrical patterns; variations serve artistic purposes; differs from metrical incompetence; creates emphasis or mirrors content through formal shifts; modernist technique adapting traditional forms
Also Known As
Free verse Irregular rhythm Flexible measure Dolnik
Skip to main content