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graven

Archaic Terms
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

Carved, engraved, or sculpted into a hard surface, especially stone or metal; often describing religious images or idols, as in "graven images."

Detailed Definition
“Graven” appears in biblical contexts (“graven image”) to denote idolatry or permanence. In poetry, it describes inscriptions that outlast flesh—tombs, laws, or vows. The term’s weight suits meditations on memory and mortality. Poets use it to contrast human transience with enduring art or divine command, grounding abstract legacy in tangible carving.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The commandments were graven on stone,” echoing biblical diction in devotional poetry; In Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound,” laws “graven in the dust” signify tyranny; “His name was graven on her heart,” a romantic trope; Milton writes of “graven images” as idolatrous in “Paradise Lost”; “Time graven deep lines upon his brow,” a metaphor for age; The poet vowed to leave verses graven in marble, not sand.
Additional Notes
“Graven” carries biblical weight (e.g., “graven image” in Exodus), denoting permanence and sacred or forbidden artistry; in poetic diction, it suggests enduring inscription—of law, memory, or sin—into unyielding material.
Also Known As
carved engraved inscribed
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