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altar

Biblical
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

In biblical tradition, a sacred structure where offerings and sacrifices are made to God, symbolizing covenant, worship, atonement, and divine encounter.

Detailed Definition
An altar is a sacred structure where offerings are made. Shirley uses the image of Death's "purple altar" to make death seem like a dark religious ceremony.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Upon Death's purple altar now, / See, where the victor-victim bleeds,” joins sacrifice and violence; The biblical altar is a site of offering, covenant, and blood; Abraham's raised knife makes the altar a scene of faith and dread; A modern poem may place flowers on an altar for the disappeared
Additional Notes
The word in "Death's purple altar" is a specialized religious term, and the poem uses it in a figurative way.; Found in the poem, Song from 'Ajax and Ulysses.' by James Shirley
Other Meanings of “altar”
Also Known As
sacrificial altar offering place holy table
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