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Epitasis

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

The phase in a poem’s structure where tension, conflict, or emotion intensifies, building toward the climax or moment of highest dramatic impact.

Detailed Definition
Epitasis is the central section of a classical drama or narrative poem where tension builds toward climax; in lyric poetry, it may refer to the developmental middle that intensifies emotional or thematic conflict before resolution.
Example
Example in poetry:
In tragedy, epitasis is the complication phase; In Shakespeare’s sonnets, epitasis builds tension before volta; Modern narrative poems use epitasis to layer conflict before resolution; Epitasis deepens stakes in dramatic monologues like Browning’s.
Additional Notes
Rising action in drama—plot development toward climax. Aristotelian term. In poetry: tension building in narrative. Part of: protasis, epitasis, catastrophe structure. Related: dramatic arc.
Also Known As
rising action intensification
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