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Envoi (ballade)

Structure
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 short closing stanza in a ballade that addresses a patron or reader, often summarizing or sending off the poem.

Detailed Definition
Envoi (ballade) is a short concluding stanza in a ballade that addresses a patron, beloved, or reader, often summarizing the poem’s message or offering a personal plea; traditionally half the length of main stanzas, it provides intimacy and closure.
Example
Example in poetry:
Chaucer’s ballades end with envoi addressing “Prince”; Villon’s “Ballade des dames du temps jadis” closes with envoi to “Prince”; Modern envoi in Marilyn Hacker’s translations adapts form for feminist address; The envoi often shifts tone, as in Langston Hughes’s ballad adaptations.
Additional Notes
Final send-off stanza in ballade addressing prince/patron. Usually 4-7 lines beginning "Prince..." Contrast with: tornada (troubadour equivalent). Study tip: check how tone shifts in envoi.
Also Known As
Ballade conclusion send-off dedicatory stanza tornada
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