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Echoing comparison

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 simile or metaphor that uses repeated sounds to reinforce the comparison

Detailed Definition
A simile or comparison that repeats for emphasis or incorporates echoing structure within the figurative language itself. These comparisons use repetition to intensify their effect, such as "like thunder, like thunder it rolled" or comparisons that reverberate through multiple instances. Echoing comparisons combine the clarifying power of simile with the emphatic, musical qualities of repetition, creating memorable figurative language that resonates both semantically and acoustically throughout a poem.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale,” “embalmed darkness” echoes burial through sensory comparison; In Plath’s “Daddy,” “black shoe” echoes coffin through oppressive metaphor; In Heaney’s “Digging,” spade echoes pen through labor comparison; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” disco echoes war through ironic comparison; In Tracy K. Smith’s “My God, It’s Full of Stars,” stars echo paternal absence through cosmic comparison.
Additional Notes
A simile that repeats for emphasis or uses echoing structure within the comparison itself. Creates rhythm through repetition while maintaining figurative meaning. Can amplify emotional impact through sonic insistence. Example structure: "like thunder, like thunder it rolled."
Also Known As
repetitive simile echoing likeness reverberating comparison duplicated figure Echoic simile
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