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Augustine

Historical Figure
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

Influential Christian theologian and philosopher, author of "Confessions" and "City of God"

Detailed Definition
St. Augustine reconciled classical philosophy with Christian doctrine, shaping Western theology and concepts of sin, grace, and time. His introspective writings pioneered autobiography. Poets reference him to explore inner turmoil, divine grace, and the soul’s journey from worldly desire to spiritual truth.
Example
Example in poetry:
Saint Augustine appears in devotional poetry as the archetypal convert and confessor; John Donne and George Herbert echo Augustine’s themes of grace and inner turmoil; Poets use “Confessions” as a model for introspective, lyrical autobiography; Augustine’s concept of “restless heart” becomes a recurring poetic motif; Modern verse references Augustine to explore the psychology of sin and redemption; His debate with Pelagius inspires poems on free will and divine sovereignty.
Additional Notes
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354–430) was a theologian and philosopher whose “Confessions” and “City of God” shaped Western Christian thought; his ideas on sin, grace, time, and interiority deeply influenced literature; in poetry, Augustine signifies spiritual crisis, conversion, or the tension between flesh and spirit—central to works by Dante, Herbert, Eliot (“Ash-Wednesday”), and modern confessional poets exploring guilt and redemption.
Also Known As
Saint Augustine Augustine of Hippo Aurelius Augustinus
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