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Fall on deaf ears

Idiomatic Phrase
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

To be ignored or unheeded, as if listeners are deaf to appeals or warnings.

Detailed Definition
This auditory metaphor emphasizes futile communication, often tied to prophecy or activism. In poetry, it echoes Cassandra’s curse—truth spoken but disbelieved. Biblical prophets, Romantic poets (Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind”), and modern climate poets use it to express despair over societal indifference. The physiological image (deafness) transforms abstract neglect into sensory deprivation, heightening emotional isolation. Its recurrence across eras underscores poetry’s perennial role as urgent, often unheeded, witness to crisis.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” pleads, “Be thou me”—yet his call falls on deaf ears of society; Climate activist poem: “Our warnings fall on deaf ears while forests turn to ash”; In generational verse: “Grandpa’s war stories fall on deaf ears of TikTok-scrolling teens”; Political elegy: “Truth-tellers speak, but their words fall on deaf ears in halls of power”.
Additional Notes
This auditory metaphor emphasizes futile communication, often tied to prophecy. In poetry, it echoes Cassandra’s curse—truth spoken but disbelieved. Biblical prophets, Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind,” and climate poets use it to express despair over societal indifference. The physiological image (deafness) transforms abstract neglect into sensory deprivation. For students, it underscores poetry’s perennial role as urgent, often unheeded, witness to crisis—where speaking truth becomes an act of faith despite anticipated silence.
Also Known As
Be ignored
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