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Anticipatory device

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 structural or rhetorical element designed to point forward in a poem

Detailed Definition
An anticipatory device is a literary technique in which imagery, symbols, or references foreshadow future developments in a poem, guiding readers toward later revelations. Used skillfully, it creates cohesion and builds suspense, making earlier lines resonate when their connection becomes clear. Examples include recurring motifs that change meaning by the poem's conclusion.
Example
Example in poetry:
A subtle hint about a tragedy early in the poem; An image foreshadowing a character’s fate; A metaphor that anticipates the final theme; A motif that returns with changed meaning at the end.
Additional Notes
Anticipatory devices create forward momentum in a poem; effective for building suspense or thematic coherence through foreshadowing.
Also Known As
Foreshadowing Prolepsis Forward signal Predictive device
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