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Ekphrasis

Form
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 poem that offers a rich, detailed description of a visual artwork, scene, or object, often meditating on its meaning or emotional impact.

Detailed Definition
Ekphrasis is a vivid, often dramatic verbal description of a visual work of art, real or imagined, that brings the image to life through poetic language; exemplified in Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” it explores the tension between stillness and motion, silence and voice, across artistic media.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ekphrasis: Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” vividly describes scenes on an ancient urn: “Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard / Are sweeter.”
Additional Notes
Ekphrasis is a vivid description of a visual artwork within a poem, often meditating on its meaning, creation, or emotional impact; classic examples include Keats’s “Ode on a Grecian Urn” and Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts.”
Other Meanings of “Ekphrasis”
Also Known As
Descriptive poetry Art description Visual interpretation Picture poem Ecphrasis
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