sprung rhythm

American  

noun

1. a poetic rhythm characterized by the use of strongly accented syllables, often in juxtaposition, accompanied by an indefinite number of unaccented syllables in each foot, of which the accented syllable is the essential component.

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sprung rhythm British  

noun

1. prosody a type of poetic rhythm characterized by metrical feet of irregular composition, each having one strongly stressed syllable, often the first, and an indefinite number of unstressed syllables

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Etymology

Origin of sprung rhythm

Term introduced by Gerard Manley Hopkins (1877)

Example Sentences

“It is a sprung rhythm,” he said, his voice stiff and offended.

From Literature

A contemporary copy in A has this note: 'Written in sprung rhythm, the third line has 3 beats, the rest 4.

From Project Gutenberg