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Deferred volta

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 sonnet in which the volta—the thematic or argumentative turn—is delayed past the conventional octave-sestet or line 9 boundary for dramatic effect.

Detailed Definition
Deferred volta describes a strategic delay of the sonnet’s traditional turn—usually occurring at line 9—until later in the poem (e.g., line 13 or 14), heightening tension, subverting expectation, or complicating resolution in modern or experimental sonnet practice.
Example
Example in poetry:
In sonnet sequences like Shakespeare’s, the volta sometimes arrives late—in Sonnet 129, resolution comes only in final couplet; Adrienne Rich delays volta in “Diving into the Wreck” until the poem’s submerged turn; Delayed volta appears in Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen,” where realization dawns slowly; Modern sonnets by Terrance Hayes often defer volta to challenge resolution itself.
Additional Notes
Deferred volta delays sonnet's turn beyond traditional position. Disrupts expected octave/sestet or quatrain structure. Related to displaced volta. Creates tension through delay—resolution arrives late for emphasis.
Also Known As
Delayed turn Postponed shift Late pivot Extended volta Delayed volta
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