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Comparative drift

Device
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 gradual evolution of a comparison from literal to abstract, allowing interpretive expansion.

Detailed Definition
Comparative drift starts concrete analogies then drifts to metaphorical realms, broadening scope. Romantic in Shelley's cloud comparisons evolving to freedom, it drifts in contemporary eco-verse. Poets use it to transition seamlessly, deepening insight. This device appears to mimic perception's shift, avoiding rigidity. Drift comparatively expands horizons, making poetry a journey from familiar to profound.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" drifts comparison from leaf to thought; Hypothetical: Drifting apple to forbidden knowledge in Eden retelling; John Donne drifts compass to soul separation; Wallace Stevens drifts jar to ordering wilderness; Marianne Moore drifts animal traits to human virtues.
Additional Notes
Comparative drift evolves similes, from literal to profound; transition gradually; Shelley drifts wind-thought; usage: for expansion; scholars connect to metaphor theory, noting abstraction's journey.
Also Known As
Evolving simile Drifting analogy
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