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Acousmatic metaphor

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A metaphor that evokes sound through reference to an unseen or implied auditory source, engaging the reader’s imagination acoustically.

Detailed Definition
Acousmatic metaphor describes a figure of speech in which sound is represented as disembodied or sourceless, evoking mystery or transcendence; derived from “acousmatic” (sound heard without seeing its origin), it appears in poetry to suggest the ineffable, as in voices from the wind or unseen instruments.
Example
Example in poetry:
An acousmatic metaphor describes sound detached from its source, as in “the voice without a face” or Mallarmé’s “the sound of a flute heard through a wall,” evoking mystery by separating sound from origin.
Additional Notes
Metaphor involving sound where source is hidden/unknown. Reader hears description but can't identify origin. Creates mystery, uncanniness. From musique concrète tradition. Advanced technique.
Also Known As
Sound metaphor Auditory metaphor Acoustic comparison
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