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Compound metaphor

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

A metaphor formed by combining two or more nouns to create a new, fused image or concept

Detailed Definition
Compound metaphor is an extended figurative construction where multiple metaphors are layered or fused to create a complex, unified image; for instance, describing time as “a thief with wings and a scythe” combines personification, mythological allusion, and symbolic object to deepen the metaphor’s resonance, allowing richer interpretive possibilities than a single comparison.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare’s “star-crossed lovers” fuses celestial fate with human romance; Emily Dickinson’s “the brain is wider than the sky” merges cognition with cosmic scale; John Donne’s “compass” metaphor in “A Valediction” joins lovers as geometric instruments; Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy” uses “black shoe” as a compound metaphor for oppressive patriarchy
Additional Notes
Compound metaphors fuse two nouns to create a new conceptual image (e.g., “star-crossed”); central to metaphysical conceits and modernist compression; avoid overuse—each should deepen meaning, not obscure it; related to kenning and hyphenated image
Also Known As
Fused metaphor blended image composite metaphor conjoined trope Kenning Kenning metaphor Metaphoric compound
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