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Centonism

Technique
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

The practice of creating new poems by reassembling lines or phrases from existing works; it pays homage, critiques tradition, and explores intertextuality through the art of textual recombination.

Detailed Definition
Centonism is the poetic practice of composing a new work entirely from quotations or fragments of existing texts, creating a mosaic of borrowed voices; common in late antiquity and postmodernism, it questions authorship and celebrates intertextual dialogue.
Example
Example in poetry:
Centonism stitches quotes from other texts into new poetic fabric; T.S. Eliot’s "The Waste Land" is a modern cento of literary fragments; Medieval centos compiled Bible verses into new psalms; Contemporary examples: erasure poetry and remix culture; Centonism honors tradition while creating original meaning.
Additional Notes
The practice or art of composing centos, stitching together existing verse lines. Requires skill in selection and arrangement for coherent new meaning. Ancient Latin tradition; related to compilation and pastiche.
Also Known As
centonic composition verse compilation
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