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Intertextual

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

Describing a poem or passage that consciously references, alludes to, or incorporates elements from other works of literature.

Detailed Definition
Intertextual in poetry describes a work’s relationship with other texts—whether through quotation, allusion, parody, or stylistic borrowing—highlighting the interconnectedness of literature over time; an intertextual reading acknowledges how one poem may echo another or respond to an earlier tradition, as in T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” which is rich with references to myth, scripture, and earlier poets, drawing meaning from this shared dialogue.
Example
Example in poetry:
Intertextual|Allusions connecting to other texts; T.S. Eliot referencing Dante and Shakespeare; Poem echoing previous literary works; Cross-textual dialogue creating meaning
Additional Notes
Intertextual refers to references or echoes of other texts within a poem, enriching meaning by layering multiple voices or traditions.
Also Known As
Cross-textual Allusive Reference-laden Text-to-text
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