Home › Glossary › Letter D

Demonstrative reference

Concept
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Words that point to particular objects or ideas in context (these, those, such)

Detailed Definition
Demonstrative reference: Direct, explicit pointing within poetry to specific objects, ideas, moments, or relationships, typically through words like "this," "that," "here," or "there." Demonstrative reference creates immediacy and specificity, eliminating ambiguity by clearly identifying what the poem addresses. This technique emphasizes presence and direct engagement with identifiable subjects.
Example
Example in poetry:
Using context-dependent words that require situational understanding; "Now," "here," "I" references that change meaning with context; Words pointing to speaker's immediate circumstances; Language requiring knowledge of poem's speaking situation
Additional Notes
The use of words that point to specific referents in context, such as "this poem," "that moment." Foundation of deictic and demonstrative techniques.
Also Known As
Deictic terms Pointing language Demonstrative words Contextual markers Deixis
Skip to main content