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cable-like arc

Structure
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 poetic structure shaped like a suspended cable’s curve—arching upward then downward—often used to mirror thematic rise and fall or emotional trajectory.

Detailed Definition
cable-like arc describes a poetic line or stanza that curves with tensile strength and sustained energy, like a suspension cable, maintaining structural integrity across distance or thematic weight; this metaphor evokes resilience, connection, and dynamic balance, as the poem spans emotional or conceptual gaps without snapping or sagging.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “The Cantos,” Pound uses cable-like arcs to link historical fragments; H.D.’s “Trilogy” employs cable-like arcs connecting myth and war; M. NourbeSe Philip’s “Zong!” uses cable-like arcs of submerged voices; Kamau Brathwaite’s “Barabajan Poems” weave cable-like arcs across diaspora; Contemporary poet Claudia Rankine uses cable-like arcs to connect microaggressions.
Additional Notes
A visual or structural element in a poem that suggests a curved, tensile, or sweeping connection between two points; Found in concrete poetry or in thematic structures that link distant ideas through an overarching metaphor.
Also Known As
arched span bow-like curve spanning arc Catenary curve
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