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Epitrope

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 rhetorical device where a speaker seemingly concedes a point to an opponent, only to use that concession to reinforce their own argument.

Detailed Definition
Epitrope is a rhetorical figure where the speaker appears to yield a point to an opponent or to fate, often ironically, to strengthen their own argument; in poetry, it manifests as concessive phrasing (“Perhaps you’re right—but still…”) that deepens persuasive or emotional complexity through apparent humility or resignation.
Example
Example in poetry:
“You decide” as rhetorical permission (epitrope); In satire, epitrope feigns yielding: “Go ahead, destroy the planet”; Epitrope appears in Auden: “You shall love your crooked neighbor / With your crooked heart”; The device invites reader complicity or judgment.
Additional Notes
Conceding point to opponent for rhetorical effect. "For argument's sake..." device. Strengthens position through apparent concession. Related: rhetoric, persuasion devices. Study: sincerity vs. tactic.
Other Meanings of “Epitrope”
Also Known As
Ironic concession strategic yielding
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