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Chant

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 poetic form recited or sung in a simple, rhythmic melody, often repetitive and communal, rooted in oral or ritual traditions.

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Detailed Definition
A chant is a poem structured like ritual or liturgical recitation, using repetition, incantation, and rhythmic regularity to induce trance, communal participation, or spiritual focus; it draws on oral traditions and often blurs the line between poetry and prayer.
Example
Example in poetry:
A Chant uses repetitive, rhythmic phrasing for ritual or communal effect, as in Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl”: “who poverty and tatters and hollow-eyed and high sat up smoking in the supernatural darkness of cold-water flats...”
Additional Notes
Chant is a rhythmic, repetitive vocal form often derived from ritual or oral traditions; in poetry, it uses incantatory repetition and simple syntax to evoke trance, prayer, or communal identity.
Other Meanings of “Chant”
Also Known As
Incantation rhythmic recitation liturgical song repetitive verse Canticum Litany sacred song
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