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Drifting burden

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

A type of refrain or repeated phrase that appears irregularly in a poem, lacking fixed location

Detailed Definition
A drifting burden is a refrain that changes its position within a poem rather than appearing consistently at the start or end of stanzas. This movement can alter its impact, freshen repetition, and create shifting emphasis on the recurring phrase or line.
Example
Example in poetry:
Refrain moving from stanza end to middle; Opening with repeated line later moved to closing; Chorus appearing unpredictably; Shifting burden to emphasize varied themes
Additional Notes
Drifting burden is a refrain that shifts position or wording with each recurrence. Related to wandering refrain and unanchored repetend. Creates evolving emphasis—track how context alters the burden’s emotional or thematic weight over time.
Also Known As
Shifting refrain Meandering burden Floating chorus Free-floating refrain
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