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Hearse

Transport
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 vehicle used to carry a coffin or deceased person to a funeral or burial.

Detailed Definition
The hearse enters poetry as a visible sign of mortality moving through ordinary streets. Its dark polished body, slow procession, and curtained windows can turn a familiar neighborhood suddenly ceremonial and strange. A poet may focus on the hearse’s wheels to suggest time continuing despite grief, or on its silence amid traffic and birdsong. Beyond literal funeral scenes, it can symbolize emotional deadness, public loss, or the transport of a past that cannot be revived.
Example
Example in poetry:
Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death” can be compared with hearse imagery because both vehicles accompany the dead; “The hearse moved slowly past the schoolyard” contrasts childhood activity with mourning; A poet might write, “A hearse of rain carried summer from the town,” using the vehicle metaphorically for seasonal loss; “Behind the hearse, the road filled with black umbrellas” lets surrounding details deepen the funeral scene
Additional Notes
A hearse carries the dead and therefore commonly symbolizes mourning, mortality, and final departure. Its arrival can shift a poem's tone toward solemn reflection.
Also Known As
Funeral Coach
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