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anvil

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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

An anvil is a heavy metal block on which heated or cold metal is hammered into shape.

Detailed Definition
An anvil is the solid working surface of a smithy, usually made of iron or steel and shaped with a flat face, horn, and holes for specialised tools. Poets use it to summon the heat, noise, and muscular rhythm of the forge, making it a natural emblem of labour, endurance, and creation under pressure. The ringing of hammer on anvil may become musical, martial, or ominous, while the unyielding block can represent fate, resistance, or the hard conditions against which identity is formed.
Example
Example in poetry:
In William Blake's The Tyger, the anvil belongs to imagery of fearful creation and supernatural craftsmanship; The blacksmith's anvil rang through the valley like an iron bell; A poet may present the anvil as a symbol of endurance because it withstands repeated blows; Her character was forged upon the anvil of hardship.
Additional Notes
An anvil is both a functional smithing surface and a powerful literary symbol. Its resistance to repeated hammer blows makes it suitable for poems about endurance, hardship, discipline, or character formed under pressure. The ringing sound of hammer on anvil can provide strong auditory imagery and may resemble bells, weapons, machinery, or music. Students should distinguish the anvil from the forge, which supplies heat, and from the hammer, which delivers the blow. Related concepts include blacksmithing, tempering, metalwork, creation, labour, and transformation.
Other Meanings of “anvil”
Also Known As
smith's anvil blacksmith's anvil
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