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Interpolated line

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

A line inserted into a pre-existing poetic structure, often from another source or as an afterthought

Detailed Definition
Interpolated line is a verse segment introduced into a poem that appears extraneous to the main narrative or argument but serves to deepen context, introduce irony, or shift perspective; often marked by typographical distinction or tonal contrast, it functions as a textual “aside” that expands the poem’s interpretive horizon.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “The Waste Land,” “London Bridge is falling down falling down falling down” is interpolated from nursery rhyme; in “Paradise Lost,” Milton interpolates the “hymn” of Adam and Eve; in “Leaves of Grass,” Whitman interpolates newspaper clippings; in “Howl,” Ginsberg interpolates “Moloch!” as refrain.
Additional Notes
An interpolated line is a quoted or borrowed phrase inserted into a poem, often without attribution; differs from allusion by direct textual presence; students should consider why the poet chose to embed rather than paraphrase.
Also Known As
Quoted insertion Borrowed line External fragment Verbatim interjection Intercalary line
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