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Episkein

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 small interpolated phrase or clause inserted to soften or explain a preceding statement.

Detailed Definition
Episkein is a rare rhetorical term denoting the veiling or obscuring of meaning through ambiguous or metaphorical language, often for mystical or protective effect; in poetry, episkein creates deliberate opacity, inviting contemplation rather than immediate comprehension, as in oracle pronouncements or symbolist verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
Greek rhetorical term for climactic arrangement: “He came, he saw, he conquered”; In poetry, episkein orders clauses by increasing intensity; Modern example: “She whispered, she shouted, she vanished”; Episkein builds emotional or logical crescendo.
Additional Notes
Rhetorical device of appearing to withhold while actually revealing. Strategic disclosure through seeming concealment. Related to paralipsis; study with ironic and political verse.
Also Known As
Rhetorical correction Self-correction Revised statement
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