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Deflective trope

Device
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 figurative turn that diverts from direct statement to indirect, evasive expression for nuance.

Detailed Definition
Deflective trope veers from straightforwardness into metaphor or irony, deflecting for subtlety. Mannerist in Herbert's witty turns, it tropes in Ashbery's oblique paths. Poets deploy it to avoid bluntness, inviting inference. This device appears to layer ambiguity, reflecting evasion's art. Tropes deflectively enrich intrigue, making poetry a game of veiled revelations.
Example
Example in poetry:
Andrew Marvell deflects time urgency into carpe diem trope; Hypothetical: Deflecting direct grief to ironic humor; John Donne deflects religious doubt; e.e. cummings deflects norms playfully; Sylvia Plath deflects pain to myth.
Additional Notes
Deflective trope evades directness, ironic indirection; turn figuratively; Marvell deflects coyness; tip: for nuance; academics relate to meiosis, exploring subtlety.
Also Known As
Indirect trope Evasive figure
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