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Intangible

Adjective
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

Not perceptible by touch, used metaphorically in poetry for abstract themes

Detailed Definition
Intangible in poetry describes qualities—such as emotion, atmosphere, memory, or spirit—that lack physical form but are rendered palpable through metaphor, sound, and rhythm; poets evoke the intangible to explore inner states, metaphysical questions, or the ineffable dimensions of human experience.
Example
Example in poetry:
Emily Dickinson’s “The Soul selects her own Society” treats soul as intangible yet sovereign; Wallace Stevens’ “The Snow Man” describes “the nothing that is” as intangible presence; Contemporary poet Tracy K. Smith’s “My God, It’s Full of Stars” renders cosmic awe as intangible; T.S. Eliot’s “Prufrock” evokes intangible dread: “the eternal Footman hold my coat”; Sylvia Plath’s “Ariel” transforms horse ride into intangible transcendence; Robert Frost’s “Birches” describes truth as “intangible and clear.”
Additional Notes
Intangible: Referring to abstract concepts, emotions, or spiritual realities that are not physical or material; poets frequently use concrete imagery and metaphor to make the intangible feel real and accessible.
Also Known As
ethereal immaterial incorporeal intangible essence Abstract
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