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Contrast

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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 rhetorical and poetic strategy that emphasizes differences between paired elements.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Volta — A volta is a turn: the moment when a poem changes direction in its thinking, feeling, argument, perspective, tone or imagery. Though closely associated with the sonnet, the volta can occur in almost any poem and at almost any point.

Detailed Definition
Contrast in poetry is the deliberate juxtaposition of opposing elements—such as light/dark, silence/sound, or past/present—to heighten emotional impact, clarify themes, or create dynamic tension; it operates through imagery, diction, rhythm, and structure to produce vivid, memorable effects.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” stillness of art contrasts with human transience; In Plath’s “Mirror,” the impartial silver surface contrasts with the aging woman’s emotional turmoil; In Hughes’ “Dream Deferred,” the explosive “rotten meat” contrasts with the quiet “raisin in the sun”; In Heaney’s “Digging,” the pen contrasts with the spade, intellect with labor; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” disco music contrasts with Saigon’s evacuation; In Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen,” polite conversation contrasts with underlying racial hostility.
Additional Notes
Contrast|The juxtaposition of two distinct, often opposing, elements (images, ideas, tones) in a poem to highlight their differences and deepen the reader's understanding of both; essential for dynamic poetry.
Also Known As
Juxtaposition Poetic opposition Variation contrast Antithesis Opposition
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