Related Words

Acephalous: A line of verse without its expected initial syllable.

Metrical Substitution: A way of varying poetic meter by taking a single foot of the normal meter and replacing it with a foot of different meter. For instance, a poem might consist primarily of iambic pentameter, . . . View Full Definition

Synaeresis: When two vowels appear side-by-side within a single word, and the poet blurs them together into a single syllable to make his meter fit. Contrast with elision, syncope, and acephalous lines.

Imperfect Foot: A metrical foot consisting of a single syllable, either heavily or lightly stressed. See meter, cf. Acephalous line.

Elision: Omission of a consonant (e.g., 'ere' for 'ever') or a vowel (e.g., 'tother' for 'the other'), usually to achieve a metrical effect.

Catalectic: A type of verse termed by george puttenham in 1589 'maimed' because it is missing a syllable in the last foot. An acatalectic verse is complete. A hypercatalectic line has an extra syllable. . . . View Full Definition

Catalexis: In poetry, a catalectic line is shortened or truncated so that unstressed syllables drop from a line. If catalexis occurs at the start of a line, that line is said to be acephalous or headle . . . View Full Definition