Home › Glossary › Letter W

windless cadence

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

A metrical cadence that evokes stillness or suspension by suppressing rhythmic momentum, often through pauses, long vowels, or sparse stress.

Detailed Definition
Windless cadence describes a still, hushed rhythm in poetry—marked by end-stopped lines, soft vowels, and minimal consonance—that evokes calm, suspension, or dread; this absence of motion contrasts with more dynamic meters, heightening tension through quietude rather than sound.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Stillness fills the hollow glen— / not a breath, not a sigh” (absence of wind mirrored in meter); “The pond reflects the unmoving sky— / time holds its breath” (rhythm suspended like air); “No rustle in the reeds, / no whisper in the grass” (metrical flatness evoking calm); “Silence, thick as wool, / wraps the sleeping hill” (cadence without gust or pause)
Additional Notes
windless cadence: A rhythm in verse that is exceptionally calm, smooth, and unhurried, often achieved through legato reading, minimal punctuation breaks, and avoidance of sharp metrical stresses; evokes stillness or peace.
Also Known As
Calm cadence Cadence without wind Windless rhythm Becalmed meter
Skip to main content