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Basalt

Geology
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 dark, fine-grained volcanic rock formed from cooled lava. It may convey elemental force, darkness, or austere beauty.

Detailed Definition
Basalt is a dense, dark volcanic rock created when lava cools quickly at or near the surface. Its blackness and association with cliffs, ocean floors, and volcanic landscapes give it a grave, elemental presence in poetry. A basalt shore may sharpen a scene of storm or isolation, while basalt columns can suggest uncanny order made by fire. The stone allows a poet to join violence and geometry, eruption and permanence, in a single image.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Basalt cooled in black steps along the shore, each column facing the waves” gives basalt a striking visual role; “The road crossed a basalt plain dark as spilled ink” uses the rock’s color to shape mood; A poet could write, “Basalt remembered fire beneath its hard skin,” referring to its volcanic origin; “Her silence was basalt, dense and formed from old heat” makes basalt a metaphor for compressed emotion
Additional Notes
Basalt is a dark volcanic rock created when lava cools relatively quickly, often at the surface or ocean floor. It is common in oceanic crust and lava fields. Use its dense, black appearance for elemental landscapes, severity, or cooled violence.
Also Known As
Trap Rock
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