Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to a specific poetic meter: Describes a rhythm or verse consisting of a metrical foot called a dactyl (one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables) followed by either a spondee (two stressed syllables) or a trochee (one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable).
   • Relating to or resembling Adonis: Pertaining to the mythological figure Adonis, often connoting exceptional youth, beauty, or desirability.

2. Noun:

   • A specific type of verse line: A line of poetry that follows the Adonic meter (a dactyl followed by a spondee or trochee). This form is traditionally associated with laments for Adonis.

Examples of Usage

• Adjective (Poetic Meter):

  • The poet employed an Adonic rhythm to give the lament a classical, mournful quality.
  • Identifying the Adonic pattern requires scanning the lines for a dactyl followed by a spondee.

• Adjective (Relating to Adonis):

  • He was praised for his Adonic features, reminiscent of the youthful god.
  • The sculpture captured an Adonic ideal of male beauty.

• Noun:

  • The final line of each stanza is a haunting Adonic.
  • Classical scholars debated the precise structure of the Adonic used in the ancient dirges.

Advanced Usage

• "Adonic line": A specific term for a verse line written in Adonic meter.
  • The epigram concluded with a memorable Adonic line.

Variants and Related Words

• Adonis (n): 1. In Greek mythology, a youth of extraordinary beauty loved by Aphrodite. 2. A handsome young man.
• Dactyl (n): A metrical foot in poetry consisting of one stressed syllable followed by two unstressed syllables (e.g., "poetry").
• Spondee (n): A metrical foot consisting of two stressed syllables (e.g., "heartbreak").
• Trochee (n): A metrical foot consisting of one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable (e.g., "garden").

Synonyms

• Adjective (Meter): Dactylo-spondaic, dactylo-trochaic (technical).
• Adjective (Beauty): Handsome, beautiful, godlike, statuesque.

Related Phrases

• Adonic verse: Poetry written in or characterized by the Adonic meter.
  • The fragment is a rare example of Adonic verse from that period.

Adjective

1. having a rhythm consisting of a dactyl followed by a spondee or a trochee
   • the verse of the laments is Adonic
2. or relating to or like Adonis

Noun

1. a verse line with a dactyl followed by a spondee or trochee; supposedly used in laments by Adonis