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backward-looking sound

Rhyme
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 form of rhyme that echoes a previously established sound pattern

Detailed Definition
Backward-looking sound describes phonetic patterns—such as rhyme, assonance, or consonance—that echo earlier sounds in a poem, creating aural callbacks that reinforce thematic continuity or emotional resonance; this technique binds disparate sections through sonic memory, enriching the poem’s auditory tapestry.
Example
Example in poetry:
A sound pattern echoing backwards, like palindromic rhyme “madam/Adam”; Reverse echoes in a line like “noon/moon”; A mirrored alliteration “sorrow/rows”; Sound devices working in backward fashion
Additional Notes
backward-looking sound is a type of sound device where the sound of a word or phrase anticipates the sound of a preceding word (a rare term, possibly related to reverse alliteration or echo effect).
Also Known As
retro-sound echo in reverse backward tone reversed resonance Backward rhyme
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