Figurative mode

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

A poetic style relying heavily on metaphor and figurative devices.

Detailed Definition
Figurative mode describes a poetic approach dominated by metaphor, simile, symbol, and other non-literal language to convey meaning indirectly; in this mode, objects, actions, and scenes represent abstract ideas, emotions, or states of being, allowing poets to explore complex psychological or philosophical terrain through imaginative transformation rather than direct statement.
Example
Example in poetry:
Figurative mode involves writing that relies on metaphor, simile, or symbolism rather than literal description; Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale” uses the bird as a symbol of immortality; Blake’s “The Tyger” explores creation through symbolic imagery; Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” uses a path as a metaphor for life choices
Additional Notes
The Figurative mode in poetry is the use of non-literal language—including tropes and figures of speech like metaphor, simile, and synecdoche—to convey meaning, emotion, or image; it's distinct from the literal mode and allows poetry to achieve depth, richness, and complex associations through indirect expression.
Also Known As
Rhetorical mode Figurative style Symbolic manner Allegorical mode Symbolic mode
Skip to main content