Catalexis

Literary/ Cultural Context Note

Peter Lewis Groves (Monash University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. WORLD HISTORY AND IDEAS: A CROSS-CULTURAL VOLUME.

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Catalexis (adj.

catalectic

): the omission of an expected offbeat (see prosody). It is commonplace in

ictosyllabic

verse at the beginning or end of the line, as in this example of anapestic tetrameter:

(.) . * | . . *| . . * | . . * While Pan |and fair Sy|rinx are fled |from our shore, (.) . * | . …

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174 words

Citation: Groves, Peter Lewis. "Catalexis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001; last revised 02 November 2005. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=169, accessed 26 April 2024.]

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