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Agonistic

Adjective
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

Describing poetry rooted in competitive or contest-based traditions, often involving rhetorical or performative rivalry.

Detailed Definition
Agonistic in poetry describes works centered on conflict, debate, or opposition—whether internal (self vs. self) or external (individual vs. society); it draws on classical agon traditions and appears in dramatic monologues, polemical verse, and dialogic forms that thrive on dialectical energy.
Example
Example in poetry:
Agonistic poetry features conflict or debate; in “The Collar” by George Herbert, the speaker argues with God: “I struck the board, and cried, ‘No more!’” showing spiritual struggle.
Additional Notes
Divine inspiration, breath of the gods. Poetic inspiration as external force. Classical and Romantic concept. Contrast with craft-focused composition. See: muse, inspiration.
Also Known As
Competitive Combative Contest-driven
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