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Concrete

Adjective
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

Describing diction or imagery that refers to objects or events that are available to the senses, as opposed to abstract concepts.

Detailed Definition
Concrete in poetry refers to words, imagery, and descriptions that are grounded in physical, sensory, or tangible experience, such as sights, sounds, textures, smells, or specific actions; it contrasts with abstract language by anchoring meaning in observable reality rather than concepts, making poems more vivid and relatable through detail—e.g., describing “the rough bark of the oak” or “the taste of bitter coffee” offers immediacy that draws readers into the lived experience.
Example
Example in poetry:
Concrete|A red rose, a tree, golden daffodils; The human body, a ball, a cat; Physical objects engaging the five senses; Kitten, chickadee, snow in Oliver's poetry
Additional Notes
Concrete poetry emphasizes visual form and typography, where words or letters are arranged to create a visual shape that complements the meaning.
Other Meanings of “Concrete”
Also Known As
Physical tangible material specific cement concrète
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