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Exemplum

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 brief illustrative anecdote or parable embedded in poetry to exemplify a moral, philosophical, or religious lesson.

Detailed Definition
Exemplum is a brief illustrative anecdote or story within a poem that conveys a moral lesson or supports an argument; common in medieval and didactic poetry (e.g., Chaucer’s “The Pardoner’s Tale”), it uses narrative concision to embody abstract principles through concrete human action.
Example
Example in poetry:
Exemplum: In Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales,” the Pardoner’s Tale uses the exemplum of three rioters seeking Death to illustrate the moral that greed leads to ruin.
Additional Notes
Exemplum: A moralizing anecdote or illustrative story; in poetry, used to teach or persuade—e.g., Chaucer’s “Pardoner’s Tale” or didactic medieval lyrics.
Also Known As
Illustrative tale Teaching story Moral exemplar Didactic narrative
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