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Epithalamion

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 formal lyric poem composed to celebrate a wedding, invoking blessings, joy, and fertility for the newly married couple.

Detailed Definition
Epithalamion is a traditional wedding poem that celebrates the bride and groom, often invoking blessings, describing the ceremony, and anticipating marital joy; originating in ancient Greece, it blends lyric exuberance with ritual invocation.
Example
Example in poetry:
Edmund Spenser’s “Epithalamion” celebrates his wedding day; Contemporary example: “For your hands that hold mine— / For dawn that finds us whole—”; Adrienne Rich’s “Twenty-One Love Poems” reimagines epithalamion for lesbian love; The form blends ritual, joy, and time’s passage.
Additional Notes
Formal wedding poem or song. Classical form (Sappho, Spenser). Celebrates marriage, often with mythological references. Related: epithalamic verse, prothalamion (pre-wedding). Note: elevated style typical.
Also Known As
Wedding ode marriage hymn nuptial song bridal verse Bridal poem marriage song Bridal song Épithalame
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