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Frame progression

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 poetic device where recurring framing elements—such as repeated openings or closings—progressively deepen or shift the poem’s meaning.

Detailed Definition
A structural device where repeated framing elements at beginning and end of sections develop or progress rather than simply recurring identically, creating the sense of movement within circular structure. Unlike static frame repetition, progressive frames advance meaning or narrative while maintaining architectural coherence. The frames themselves tell a story or develop an argument, demonstrating transformation while providing structural unity, allowing poets to combine circular and linear movement simultaneously.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” frame progression moves from Hell to Purgatory to Paradise; In Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” frame progression links pilgrims’ stories; In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” frame progression nests narratives within letters; In Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen,” frame progression shifts from personal to systemic racism; In Ocean Vuong’s “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” frame progression moves from letter to elegy to manifesto; In Anne Carson’s “Autobiography of Red,” frame progression blends myth, novel, and lyric.
Additional Notes
Repeated framing elements that develop or progress rather than simply recurring. Creates sense of movement within circular structure. The frames themselves tell story or advance argument.
Also Known As
Advancing frame Progressive brackets Developing bookends Moving frame Epanadiplosis Chain
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