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Discordia concors

Concept
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 classical rhetorical ideal—“discordant harmony”—where opposing elements (chaos/order, sound/silence) cohere into a unified, dynamic whole.

Detailed Definition
Discordia concors, Latin for “harmonious discord,” describes the poetic technique of yoking together seemingly contradictory or disparate elements—such as opposing images, ideas, or tones—to create a unified, often paradoxical whole; this principle underlies metaphysical conceits and modernist juxtapositions alike.
Example
Example in poetry:
Discordia concors: John Donne’s “The Canonization” unites opposites—profane love and spiritual sanctity—exemplifying discordia concors (harmony of opposites) through paradoxical imagery.
Additional Notes
Discordia concors: Latin for “harmonious discord”; a paradoxical union of opposites creating unity—central to metaphysical poetry (e.g., Donne’s “compass” conceit) and Baroque aesthetics.
Also Known As
Concordant discord Harmonious conflict Unity in variety Discordant harmony
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