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Brief lyric

Form
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 short, personal poem that captures a fleeting emotion, perception, or moment with lyrical intensity and subjective focus.

Detailed Definition
A short poem, typically fewer than fifty lines, that expresses personal emotion, subjective experience, or individual observation rather than telling a story. The brief lyric represents the most common and fundamental poetic form, distinguished by its focus on feeling and perception rather than narrative action. Its brevity allows for concentrated emotional intensity and careful attention to each word, making it ideal for capturing moments of insight, passion, or contemplation in compressed form.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dickinson's short poems like "Hope is the thing with feathers"; Imagist poems by H.D. express emotion concisely; Verlaine's brief "Chanson d'Automne" captures melancholy
Additional Notes
The most common poetic form. Typically expresses personal emotion or observation. Usually under 50 lines. Distinguished from narrative poetry by focus on feeling rather than story. Foundation of most modern poetry.
Also Known As
Short lyric Brief song Lyric piece Short verse Compressed lyric Ephelis miniature song Miniature verse
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