Closing comment

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 terminal observation or remark that completes or comments upon a poem.

Detailed Definition
The final lines of a poem offering reflection, observation, or commentary on the preceding content without necessarily drawing explicit moral conclusions. These closing lines provide contemplative perspective, inviting continued thought rather than definitively closing meaning. Robert Frost frequently employed gentle closing comments that illuminate without dictating interpretation. Such endings differ from didactic morals by maintaining subtlety and openness, guiding readers toward understanding while respecting interpretive freedom. The closing comment often shifts perspective slightly, stepping back to consider broader implications or universal resonance of the specific situation presented.
Example
Example in poetry:
A final stanza offering reflection on the poem's meaning; The concluding lines of Frost's "Stopping by Woods" with their repeated final line; Pope's summary couplets ending moral essays; The closing moral observation in a fable-poem
Additional Notes
The final lines offering reflection, observation, or commentary on what preceded. Distinct from moral or judgment, this is more contemplative. Robert Frost's poems often end with gently profound closing comments. Provides closure while leaving room for reader interpretation. More subtle than explicit conclusions, inviting continued thought.
Also Known As
final commentary concluding observation terminal reflection closing note Epiphonema
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