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Antiphonal lyric

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 lyric poem meant to be sung or recited alternately by two groups

Detailed Definition
An antiphonal lyric is a lyrical poem structured around alternating voices, stanzas, or refrains that mimic liturgical or choral antiphony; this technique deepens emotional or thematic contrast and often evokes communal or spiritual dimensions through its dialogic form.
Example
Example in poetry:
Antiphonal lyric in Hebrew Psalms (call-and-response); antiphonal lyric in African American spirituals; antiphonal lyric in Gabriela Mistral’s “Ternura”; antiphonal lyric alternates voices or choirs in responsive structure
Additional Notes
Poem structured as dialogue or call-and-response between voices. Related to antiphon. May alternate stanzas or lines. Common in pastoral, debate poems, and religious verse. Creates dramatic tension.
Also Known As
Call-and-response lyric Alternating-voice lyric Responsive song
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