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,
(.) . * | . . *| . . * | . . *
The Mu|ses are ba|nished, and Love |is no more;
(Dryden, “The Lady's Song”)
In ictothetic verse it is rather rare, however, and occurs only i…
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Citation: Groves, Peter Lewis. "Catalexis". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 November 2001; last revised 02 November 2005. [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=169, accessed 24 November 2024.]
