Home › Glossary › Letter E

Expository poem

Concept
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Poetry whose primary purpose is to explain, clarify, or convey information about a concept, process, or idea, prioritizing clarity over ornament.

Detailed Definition
Poetry that prioritizes explanation, instruction, or the communication of information over purely aesthetic pleasure, though successful expository verse maintains enough poetic merit to remain engaging. Examples include Lucretius explaining atomism in On the Nature of Things and Pope's philosophical couplets in Essay on Man. This tradition must balance didactic purpose with aesthetic achievement, using verse form to make complex material memorable and accessible while avoiding mere versification of prose content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Expository poem: Frost’s “Mending Wall” explains rural custom through narrative; Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” interprets Bruegel’s painting; A poem detailing beekeeping techniques while meditating on order; Contemporary examples explain climate science through lyric; Expository poetry blends instruction with reflection.
Additional Notes
Poetry prioritizing explanation or instruction over aesthetic pleasure. Lucretius explaining atomism in verse exemplifies tradition. Must balance didactic purpose with enough poetic merit to remain engaging.
Also Known As
Didactic verse Teaching poem Instructional poetry Explanatory verse Epexegetic verse
Skip to main content