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Crepuscular Rays

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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

Visible shafts of sunlight streaming through breaks in clouds near dawn or dusk.

Detailed Definition
Crepuscular rays are bands of sunlight that seem to fan outward from the sun when clouds, mountains, or buildings cast long shadows through hazy air. They are especially striking at sunrise and sunset, though they may appear at other times. In poetry, these rays often suggest benediction, revelation, or the mind searching through darkness for paths of illumination.
Example
Example in poetry:
Crepuscular rays broke through the clouds and fell in bright columns across the field; “Evening opened its dark curtains, and crepuscular rays entered the barn,” gives sunset a theatrical image; A poet can use crepuscular rays to make an ordinary road seem briefly illuminated or holy; The visible beams may suggest hope arriving through sorrow, because light becomes clearest against cloud
Additional Notes
Also called sunbeams or “god rays,” these beams become visible when light is scattered by cloud and haze.
Also Known As
Sunbeams God Rays Jacob's Ladder
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