Home › Glossary › Letter D

Dichotomy

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

A conceptual or structural division into two mutually exclusive, opposing, or contrasting elements (e.g., light/dark, reason/emotion) to heighten thematic tension.

Detailed Definition
Dichotomy in poetry refers to a division into two sharply contrasted or opposing elements—such as light/dark, life/death, or reason/emotion—that structure thematic development and create tension; poets use dichotomies to explore complexity, paradox, or the limits of binary thinking within lyrical or narrative frameworks.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dichotomy: In William Blake’s “The Tyger,” the dichotomy between innocence (“The Lamb”) and experience (“The Tyger”) structures his poetic vision of divine duality.
Additional Notes
Dichotomy: A division into two opposed parts (e.g., light/dark, body/soul); in poetry, often used structurally or thematically—caution against oversimplification; consider dialectical synthesis as alternative.
Also Known As
Binary opposition Two-part division Split structure Dual contrast Duality
Skip to main content