pyrrhic
- noun
- /ˈpɪrɪk/
- Literature
:
pie pírrico
- That is, the spondee and the pyrrhic can only be used as substitute feet; they cannot form the basis of a scansion.
Examples
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Implied in this is some strange doctrine that requires every spondee in a line of iambic pentameter to be balanced by a pyrrhic; one would like to stop and inquire what to make, then, of Byron's line "Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll!" and of Donne's "For God's sake hold your tongue and let me love."
Fiction book (2000) -
On the level of the individual line of traditional accentual-syllabic meter, a spondee is a spondee because it is not an iamb or a trochee, and the same is true of a pyrrhic.
Fiction book (2000) -
In classical poetry, a pyrrhic foot consists exclusively of two unstressed syllables.
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Some poets choose to include a pyrrhic in their metrical compositions for variation.
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Understanding a pyrrhic foot is essential for analyzing the rhythm of certain poetic works.
Synonyms
A rhythm unit in poetry that has two unstressed syllables
Compounds
Surface Forms
Etymology
Pyrrhic (a metrical foot) takes its name from the Greek dance pyrrhichē, known for small, fast steps, and so the poetic pyrrhic is two 'unstressed' syllables that sound like two light dance steps. This is why a pyrrhic foot feels very gentle in a line of poetry.