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Disillusionment

Psychology
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

Loss of illusions or false beliefs, often leading to cynicism or despair.

Detailed Definition
Disillusionment follows shattered ideals or betrayed trust. Poets express it through ironic tone, decaying imagery, or elegiac reflection, capturing the painful transition from naive hope to mature, often bitter, understanding of human or societal flaws.
Example
Example in poetry:
In W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” disillusionment echoes in “The best lack all conviction, while the worst / Are full of passionate intensity”; In T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land,” postwar disillusionment fragments narrative and hope; In Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est,” disillusionment shatters patriotic myths; In Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” disillusionment with American capitalism fuels lament; In Sylvia Plath’s “Ariel,” disillusionment with domesticity propels transformation; In Seamus Heaney’s “Whatever You Say Say Nothing,” disillusionment colors Northern Irish political silence.
Additional Notes
Disillusionment—the loss of illusions—often follows trauma, war, or political betrayal; central to modernist poetry (Eliot, Owen); differs from cynicism by its mournful, not dismissive, tone; poets use fragmented form, allusion, or ironic juxtaposition to convey it; students should analyze what ideal was lost and how the poem negotiates aftermath; note its potential for clarity: disillusionment can be a necessary step toward authenticity.
Also Known As
Disenchantment Disappointment Cynicism Loss of faith Dismay
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