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Interpolation

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 insertion of additional lines or passages into an existing poem

Detailed Definition
Interpolation is the insertion of additional lines, phrases, or stanzas into an existing poem—either by the original author for revision or by later editors for expansion or clarification; in poetic composition, deliberate interpolation can create palimpsestic layers, as in revised manuscripts or collaborative works, where the “added” text dialogues with the original, revealing evolving intent or contested meaning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Interpolation: Adding a stanza to an existing ballad: “They hanged him high— / (New verse: But his ghost walks still)”; Modern poets inserting personal lines into classics; “Interpolated sonnet” with extra line breaking form; Eco-poetry interpolating indigenous chants into Western forms; Verse where footnotes become interpolated poetic lines; Digital poetry allowing reader interpolation
Additional Notes
Insertion of material (words, lines, stanzas) into an existing text. Can be authorial revision or later addition. In textual criticism, identifying interpolations helps establish authentic versions. Distinct from glossing.
Also Known As
textual insertion verse addition Epenthesis
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