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Colon

Notation
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 punctuation mark (:) used to introduce lists, explanations, or dramatic pauses in verse.

Detailed Definition
The colon in poetry often signals a rhetorical shift, introduces a quotation or elaboration, or creates a measured pause that heightens anticipation; its use can mimic classical oratory, structuring thought within the line and enhancing the poem’s logical or emotional progression.
Example
Example in poetry:
Colons introduce revelations: “Truth: it was you all along”; In Plath’s “Lady Lazarus,” colons precede declarations; Colons separate speaker and speech in dramatic verse; In minimalist poetry, “Night: black” uses colon starkly; Colons precede lists of losses: “Gone: home, dog, childhood”; In titles, colons divide theme and variation: “Requiem: For a Friend”.
Additional Notes
Colon: The colon (:) in poetic syntax often introduces a list, explanation, or dramatic pause; it creates a stronger break than a comma but less final than a period—poets like Emily Dickinson or T.S. Eliot exploit its rhetorical weight to structure thought across lines, making it crucial for interpreting enjambment and logical progression.
Also Known As
introduction pointer ratio symbol dramatic break
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