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Initial deletion

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

The removal of the poem’s opening words or syllables for effect.

Detailed Definition
Initial deletion is a metrical or phonetic omission at the beginning of a line or word, often removing an unstressed syllable to fit a rhythmic pattern or create emphasis; this technique, seen in catalexis or syncopation, can produce a jarring or urgent effect by disrupting expected prosodic flow.
Example
Example in poetry:
Dropping first consonant: “’round” for “around”; “’twas” for “it was”; “‘cause” for “because”; “‘neath” for “beneath”
Additional Notes
Initial deletion: The omission of an unstressed syllable at the very beginning of a line of verse that is otherwise metrically regular; also known as headless line or catalexis at the beginning.
Also Known As
initial omission dropped beginning elided start truncated opening Aphaeresis
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