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direct language

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

Poetic diction that avoids ornamentation, metaphor, or ambiguity in favor of plain, precise, and unembellished expression for clarity or realism.

Detailed Definition
Direct language in poetry denotes unadorned, plainspoken diction that avoids metaphor, abstraction, or ornamental phrasing in favor of clarity and immediacy; championed by movements like Imagism and Objectivism, it seeks to present experience “as it is,” trusting concrete detail and syntactic simplicity to evoke emotional and intellectual response without interpretive mediation.
Example
Example in poetry:
William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow”; Charles Reznikoff’s documentary poetry; “A dog barks. A child cries. Rain falls.”; “This is a rock. It is heavy. It is here.”
Additional Notes
Direct language avoids metaphor or ornamentation, stating ideas plainly; it’s favored in confessional, documentary, or protest poetry to convey urgency, authenticity, or stark emotional truth.
Also Known As
Plain speech unadorned diction forthright utterance transparent language Kyriolexis
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