Home › Glossary › Letter A

Apotropaic verse

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Poetry imbued with protective or magical intent, traditionally used to repel evil spirits, misfortune, or malevolent forces.

Detailed Definition
Apotropaic verse is poetry intended to ward off evil, misfortune, or malevolent forces, often employing incantatory rhythms, protective symbols, or ritualistic language rooted in folk tradition or magical thinking.
Example
Example in poetry:
Apotropaic verse in nursery rhymes (“Step on a crack...”); apotropaic verse in W.B. Yeats’s “A Prayer for My Daughter”; apotropaic verse in Louise Glück’s protective invocations; apotropaic verse uses poetic form as magical defense or blessing
Additional Notes
Poetry with apotropaic (protective/warding) function. Related to magical realism in poetry and ritual verse. Historically connected to charms and spells. Contrast with curse poetry for opposing magical intent.
Also Known As
protective verse charm poetry
Skip to main content