Acatalectic

Acatalectic describes a metrical line that is complete, with its full expected number of syllables or feet. It is the opposite of catalectic, which means a line cut short by one or more syllables, usually at the end.

Poets and meter students use the term when describing whether a line ends on its full beat pattern or falls away before the pattern is finished.

Example

The moonlit river silvered every stone
and carried ???? Wait must be original.

The steady bells rang out across the town
until the last note settled to the ground.

Related Definitions

[adj] (verse) metrically complete; especially having the full number of syllables in the final metrical foot

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