Pyrrhic

Pyrrhic
For other uses, see Pyrrhichios (ancient war dance), Pyrrhus of Epirus, Pyrrhic victory, and Pyrrha.
Metrical feet
Disyllables
˘ ˘ pyrrhus, dibrach
˘ ¯ iamb
¯ ˘ trochee, choree
¯ ¯ spondee
Trisyllables
˘ ˘ ˘ tribrach
¯ ˘ ˘ dactyl
˘ ¯ ˘ amphibrach
˘ ˘ ¯ anapest, antidactylus
˘ ¯ ¯ bacchius
¯ ¯ ˘ antibacchius
¯ ˘ ¯ cretic, amphimacer
¯ ¯ ¯ molossus
See main article for tetrasyllables.
v · metrical foot used in formal poetry. It consists of two unaccented, short syllables.[1] It is also known as a dibrach.

Tennyson used pyrrhics and spondees quite frequently, for example, in In Memoriam: "When the blood creeps and the nerves prick." "When the" and "and the" in the second line may be considered as pyrrhics (also analyzable as ionic meter).

Pyrrhics alone are not used to construct an entire poem due to the monotonous effect.[2] Poe observed that many experts rejected it from English metrics and concurred:

The pyrrhic is rightfully dismissed. Its existence in either ancient or modern rhythm is purely chimerical, and the insisting on so perplexing a nonentity as a foot of two short syllables, affords, perhaps, the best evidence of the gross irrationality and subservience to authority which characterise our Prosody.[3]

References

  1. ^ Harry Rusche, A Handbook of Terms for Discussing Poetry, Emory University Department of English [1] Last accessed 20 December 2006
  2. ^ "Rhythm, Meter, and Scansion Made Easy," Riverdale School, [2] Last accessed 20 December 2006
  3. ^ Poe, "The Rationale of Verse"

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Pyrrhic — Pyr rhic, a. [L. pyrrhichius, Gr. ? belonging to the ? (sc. ?) a kind of war dance.] 1. Of or pertaining to an ancient Greek martial dance. ye have the pyrrhic dance as yet. Byron. [1913 Webster] 2. (Pros.) Of or pertaining to a pyrrhic, or to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Pyrrhic — (1) 1885 (usually in phrase Pyrrhic victory), from Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, who defeated Roman armies at Asculum, 280 B.C.E., but at such cost to his own troops that he was unable to follow up and attack Rome itself, and is said to have remarked …   Etymology dictionary

  • pyrrhic — pyrrhic1 [pir′ik] n. [L pyrrhicha < Gr pyrrhichē, war dance] a war dance of the ancient Greeks pyrrhic2 [pir′ik] n. [L pyrrhichius < Gr pyrrhichios (pous), pyrrhic (foot)] a metrical foot of two short or unaccented syllables adj. of or made …   English World dictionary

  • Pyrrhic — Pyr rhic, n. 1. [Gr. ?: cf. F. pyrrhique, fem.] An ancient Greek martial dance, to the accompaniment of the flute, its time being very quick. [1913 Webster] 2. [L. pyrrhichius (sc. pes), Gr. ? (sc. ?): cf. F. pyrrhique, masc.] (Pros.) A foot… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • pyrrhic — (2) dance in armor (1590s), also a type of metrical foot (1620s), from L. pyrrhicha, from Gk. pyrrikhe orkhesis, the war dance of ancient Greece, traditionally named for its inventor, Pyrrikhos. The name means reddish, from pyrros flame colored,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • pyrrhic — used of a victory won at too great cost to be of use to the victor, is named after Pyrrhus, the king of Epirus who defeated a Roman army at Asculum in 279 bc but sustained heavy losses and was unable to exploit his success …   Modern English usage

  • pyrrhic — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ (of a victory) won at too great a cost to have been worthwhile for the victor. ORIGIN named after Pyrrhus, a king of Epirus whose victory over the Romans in 279 BC incurred heavy losses …   English terms dictionary

  • Pyrrhic — adjective Etymology: Pyrrhus, king of Epirus who sustained heavy losses in defeating the Romans Date: 1885 achieved at excessive cost < a Pyrrhic victory >; also costly to the point of negating or outweighing expected benefits < a great but… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Pyrrhic — adjective achieved at excessive cost Although this syndrome is thought to resemble patterns of Pyrrhic revenge See Also: Pyrrhic victory …   Wiktionary

  • pyrrhic — pyrrhic1 /pir ik/, Pros. adj. 1. consisting of two short or unaccented syllables. 2. composed of or pertaining to pyrrhics. n. 3. Also called dibrach. a pyrrhic foot. [1620 30; < L pyrrhichius < Gk pyrrhíchios pertaining to the pyrrhíche… …   Universalium

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