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Brittle verse

Genre
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

Poetry deliberately written in a fragile, delicate, or fragmentary style

Detailed Definition
Brittle verse describes poetry characterized by sharp, fragmented diction, abrupt line breaks, and emotional restraint that conveys fragility, tension, or suppressed feeling; its crystalline precision and avoidance of sentimentality create a sense of precariousness, as if the poem might shatter under emotional or syntactic pressure, evident in the work of Emily Dickinson or Jorie Graham.
Example
Example in poetry:
Brittle verse: Poetry with sharp, crisp imagery and quick, brittle sound quality; Reflects fragility or tension, like Eliot’s early poems; Often uses staccato rhythm and harsh consonants.
Additional Notes
Poetry characterized by a tense, sharp, or fragile quality in its sound, imagery, or structure; The verse may feel abrupt, broken, or on the verge of collapsing; Often achieved through sharp consonants, fragmented syntax, or jarring metaphors; Contrast with smooth, fluid verse.
Also Known As
fragile verse delicate poetry tenuous lines crumbling meter Glass poem Hidden acrostic
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