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Drift

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 subtle, evolving shift in a poem’s meaning, tone, or sonic texture across lines or stanzas, creating layered interpretation or emotional progression.

Detailed Definition
Drift in poetry refers to the subtle thematic, tonal, or imagistic current that carries a poem forward beneath its surface narrative or syntax; it denotes the unspoken emotional or philosophical trajectory that accumulates through connotation, rhythm, and associative leaps, guiding the reader toward implicit rather than explicit meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Poetic drift: Ashbery’s associative leaps; “I started with apples, ended with exile”; Surrealist automatic writing; Modern: poems mimicking dream logic or algorithmic feeds
Additional Notes
The gradual shift in meaning or subject across stanzas without abrupt transitions. Important in long poems and sequences. Differs from volta (sharp turn). Study how drift creates subtle thematic evolution.
Also Known As
semantic drift gradual change drove current
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