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Acoustic comparison

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 literary device that enhances meaning by drawing parallels through shared sounds across different sources, creating layered auditory echoes in poetry, and often used to evoke mood or mimic natural auditory phenomena.

Detailed Definition
The poetic technique of comparing sounds or sonic qualities, often through onomatopoeia, acoustic description, or metaphorical language that likens one sound to another. This can involve describing how sounds resemble each other, differ, or relate within the poem's sonic texture. Acoustic comparisons help readers imagine sounds through analogy and create acoustic imagery. The technique emphasizes the aural dimension of poetry, making sound itself a subject of contemplation and a source of meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
The brook’s babble mimicked a child’s lullaby, soft and looping; Thunder cracked like a whip across the sky’s taut canvas; Leaves rustled in a susurrus that echoed whispered confessions; Raindrops tapped the roof in Morse code rhythms only the lonely could decode; The wind howled through pines like a choir of ancient mourners.
Additional Notes
Acoustic comparison draws parallels between sounds in poetry and external phenomena (e.g., “the wind’s whisper like a sigh”); enhances sonic texture and deepens metaphorical resonance.
Also Known As
Sound simile Auditory comparison Sonic resemblance Acousmatic metaphor Sound-based likeness
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