Home › Glossary › Letter F

Filiation

Constraint
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 poem that traces lineage or influence through allusion, form, or thematic inheritance.

Detailed Definition
Filiation requires explicit or implicit acknowledgment of poetic ancestors—through style, quote, or motif—mapping literary genealogy; this constraint honors tradition while asserting continuity, using intertextual debt as formal boundary to explore how innovation emerges from emulation, and positions the poem as node within a dynamic network of influence and response.
Example
Example in poetry:
Filiation in poetry: tracing poetic lineage (e.g., “After Lorca”); sonnet sequences addressing literary ancestors; constraint poets mimic a master’s form then diverge; filiation in translation (Carver translating Cavafy); generational dialogues in verse; Oulipo’s “filiation constraint” requiring homage to a predecessor.
Additional Notes
Filiation traces poetic lineage—writing “after” predecessors. Students honor tradition while innovating. It’s key to intertextuality and canon formation, often using epigraphs or allusion.
Also Known As
Lineage descent
Skip to main content