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cyclical poem

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 poem that returns to its beginning thematically, structurally, or linguistically, creating a circular form

Detailed Definition
A cyclical poem returns to its opening image, phrase, or theme at its conclusion, creating a closed loop that suggests recurrence, inevitability, or eternal return; this structure mirrors natural cycles, psychological patterns, or mythic time, rejecting linear progression in favor of circular temporality that emphasizes continuity, ritual, or unresolved repetition.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” which begins and ends with visions of divine light; T.S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets,” circling through time and returning to “the still point”; Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan,” ending where it began: with the sacred river; Louise Glück’s “The Wild Iris,” which opens and closes with the flower’s voice
Additional Notes
A cyclical poem returns to its opening image, phrase, or mood at the end, suggesting eternal recurrence or unresolved loops; common in nature poetry or meditations on time—contrast with linear narrative structures.
Also Known As
Circular Poem Looping Verse Recurrent Lyric Eternal Return Poem Endless verse Rotational poem Round poem
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