Gongorism

Movement
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 baroque style of Spanish poetry marked by complexity, Latinisms, and elaborate metaphors

Detailed Definition
Gongorism refers to the ornate, highly Latinate style of Spanish Baroque poet Luis de Góngora, marked by hyperbaton, neologisms, mythological allusions, and syntactic complexity; it seeks to elevate poetic language through obscurity and intellectual challenge, influencing later movements like Culteranismo.
Example
Example in poetry:
Góngora’s baroque excess: “The silver-voiced swan sings its crystal dirge”; Modern example: “Her eyes, twin supernovae collapsing into velvet event horizons”; Gongorism uses elaborate metaphors and Latinate diction; Challenges reader with ornate style
Additional Notes
Extremely ornate, complex Spanish baroque style. Named for Luis de Góngora. Elaborate metaphor, learned allusion, syntax inversion. Related: cultismo, baroque poetry. Study: clarity vs. complexity debate.
Also Known As
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