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Defiant

Mood
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 poetic mood characterized by rebelliousness, resistance to control, or spirited opposition to external or cosmic forces.

Detailed Definition
Defiant mood in poetry asserts individual will against oppression, death, or societal norms, using strong diction, direct address, and unyielding rhythm; it appears in protest poetry, revolutionary verse, or personal declarations—as in Dylan Thomas’s “Do not go gentle”—where the speaker’s refusal to submit becomes a powerful act of identity and courage.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “Still I Rise,” Maya Angelou’s repeated “I rise” embodies defiant resilience against oppression; Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” defiantly rejects public fame; In “If We Must Die,” Claude McKay urges defiant courage in the face of violence (“Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack”); Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus” channels defiant rebirth (“I rise with my red hair / And I eat men like air”); In “The Second Coming,” Yeats’ sphinx-like beast symbolizes defiant chaos overturning order; Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool” captures defiant youth identity through terse, rebellious lines.
Additional Notes
Defiant mood conveys bold resistance or refusal to submit; often uses strong verbs, declarative syntax, and combative imagery—e.g., Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise”; overlaps with fierce, zealous, and stoic tones; effective in protest or empowerment poetry; differs from sullen, which implies passive resentment.
Also Known As
Rebellious Resistant Unyielding Bold Obstinate
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