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Allegorical sonnet

Form
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 sonnet in which every line reinforces a central extended metaphor or allegorical framework, sustaining symbolic meaning throughout the fourteen lines; commonly used in Petrarchan and metaphysical traditions.

Detailed Definition
Allegorical sonnet is a 14-line poem using sonnet structure to develop an allegorical narrative or symbol system, where volta often reveals the abstract meaning behind concrete imagery; it appears in Renaissance sequences where love or nature figures stand for divine or philosophical truths.
Example
Example in poetry:
An allegorical sonnet uses the 14-line form to express symbolic meaning; Spenser’s “Amoretti 26” allegorizes writing as love: “Sweet is the rose, but grows upon a briar,” symbolizing beauty amid pain.
Additional Notes
Sonnet developing sustained allegory across fourteen lines. Each quatrain may advance symbolic narrative. Related to metaphysical conceits. See Donne's "Batter my heart" where speaker becomes besieged town.
Also Known As
Symbolic sonnet Figurative fourteen-liner Parabolic sonnet
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