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Envoy

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 short closing stanza, often of 4 or fewer lines, that concludes and addresses a poem

Detailed Definition
An envoy (or envoi) is a brief concluding stanza in a poem—especially in ballades or sestinas—that addresses a patron, summarizes themes, or sends the poem into the world; traditionally functioning as a dedicatory or reflective coda, it often shifts tone to direct address or meta-commentary on the poem’s purpose.
Example
Example in poetry:
Envoy: The concluding stanza in a ballade serving as a dedication or summary, often four lines; François Villon’s “Ballade des Pendus” with envoy addressing the readers; Rabindranath Tagore’s use of envoys in Bengali poetry; A short, formal closing stanza sending off the poem’s message.
Additional Notes
A short, usually four-to-six-line, concluding stanza common in some fixed forms, like the sestina or the ballade; often summarizes, dedicates, or provides a final turn to the poem; always addressed to a prince or patron in the formal ballade.
Also Known As
L’envoi Envoy stanza Concluding envoy Dedication verse Ballade conclusion Commiato Dedicatory stanza Send-off Sending stanza
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