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Counter-turn

Structure
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 structural element that moves opposite to a strophe or main argument.

Detailed Definition
Counter-turn denotes a strategic reversal or redirection in a poem’s argument, imagery, or tone that opposes the expected trajectory—often occurring just before or after the volta—introducing ambiguity, paradox, or renewed perspective to complicate the reader’s understanding.
Example
Example in poetry:
In a Pindaric ode, the counter-turn follows the strophe, reversing the movement of thought; In dance-inspired verse, it mirrors the strophe with a rhetorical balance; A stanza that shifts argument direction in response to the strophe’s claim; A change of imagery from light to dark after the strophe’s brightness
Additional Notes
Counter-turn is the second part of a Pindaric Ode's triadic structure (strophe, antistrophe, epode), mirroring the strophe's metrical pattern; also called the antistrophe.
Also Known As
Reverse volta Antithetical shift Antistrophe
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