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Dismay

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

A sudden loss of courage, confidence, or hope, often accompanied by alarm and disappointment; in poetry, it conveys the shock of unexpected news or the deflation of optimistic expectation.

Detailed Definition
Dismay captures the shock of shattered expectations. In poetry, it appears through abrupt tonal shifts, exclamations, and images of falling or darkness. Poets use dismay to mark turning points—bad news, betrayal, or natural disaster—where the speaker's world tilts. It generates immediate emotional impact, inviting readers to share the vertigo of unforeseen loss or disillusionment.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dismay in Anne Killigrew's "The Discontent" describes "Mountains with-stand them of Dismay"; Emily Reid's "Deep, Dark, Dismay" links dismay to regret and depression; In "A secretive King's Dismay," the king's own actions cause his downfall; The poem "Strange Dismay" speaks of a soul lost to pain; "Bay of Dismay" portrays hands faltering over a grief-filled heart; The speaker in one poem imagines the dismay of a poet devouring supper.
Additional Notes
Dismay captures the shock of shattered expectations, appearing through abrupt tonal shifts, exclamations, and images of falling or darkness. Poets use dismay to mark turning points—bad news, betrayal, or natural disaster—where the speaker's world tilts. In teaching, distinguish dismay from despair: dismay is a sudden alarm, while despair is a prolonged loss of hope. Dismay generates immediate emotional impact, inviting readers to share the vertigo of unforeseen loss or disillusionment. Students should analyze how a poem's rhythm or syntax changes at moments of dismay, often becoming fragmented or breathless.
Also Known As
Alarm consternation disappointment distress disillusionment
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