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Depth imagery

Imagery
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

Descriptive language that conveys vertical or profound dimensions, literal or figurative

Detailed Definition
Depth imagery refers to poetic descriptions that evoke layered, multidimensional sensory or emotional experiences, often using spatial metaphors, contrasting planes, or psychological depth to immerse the reader; this technique moves beyond surface description to suggest inner states, memory, or subconscious realms, as seen in the works of Sylvia Plath or Rainer Maria Rilke.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale,” “embalmed darkness” creates depth imagery through synesthetic burial metaphor; In Plath’s “Daddy,” “black shoe” and “vampire” layer personal and historical depth; In Heaney’s “Digging,” the spade cuts into ancestral soil, creating depth imagery of memory; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” Saigon’s fall merges with disco music for emotional depth; In Tracy K. Smith’s “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” cosmic imagery adds depth to personal grief.
Additional Notes
Depth imagery: Poetic language that appeals to the sense of depth, distance, or three-dimensional space; often associated with feelings of introspection, vastness, or the subconscious. Related: Spatial imagery; effective for establishing setting, mood, or a sense of psychological distance or closeness.
Also Known As
Abyssal imagery profound imagery fathom picture bottomless metaphor
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