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Bathetic fall

Device
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 sudden shift from the elevated or serious to the trivial or ridiculous, often for ironic effect

Detailed Definition
Bathetic fall describes a sudden, jarring descent from a lofty, serious, or elevated tone to something trivial, mundane, or absurd, often for ironic, satirical, or comedic effect; unlike unintentional tonal missteps, a deliberate bathetic fall critiques pomposity or exposes the fragility of human grandeur, as seen in Alexander Pope’s mock-heroic works or contemporary anti-lyric poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem building grandly—“I shall conquer time, defy the stars, reshape eternity!”—then ending with “...but I forgot my keys”; Alexander Pope’s mock-heroic: “Here Thou, great Anna! whom three realms obey, / Dost sometimes counsel take—and sometimes tea”; A sonnet climaxing with cosmic imagery that collapses to “...and stubbed my toe”; “O mighty warrior, slayer of dragons, tamer of winds— / you left the oven on”
Additional Notes
Bathetic fall occurs when a lofty or serious tone abruptly shifts to the trivial or ridiculous, often for ironic or satirical effect; students should distinguish it from unintentional tonal missteps.
Also Known As
comic deflation anti-climactic drop sentimental plunge bathos Bathetic descent ridiculous drop
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