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Jealousy

Psychology
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 complex emotion involving fear of loss, resentment toward rivals, and suspicion of betrayal, often dramatized in love poetry or dramatic monologues.

Detailed Definition
Jealousy blends fear, anger, and desire. Poets explore its corrosive effects through possessive language, obsessive imagery, or dramatic monologue, revealing how it distorts perception and consumes the self.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Sylvia Plath’s “The Rival,” jealousy fixates on a moon-like competitor; In Emily Dickinson’s “I had been hungry all the Years,” jealousy simmers toward those who feast; In Robert Browning’s “My Last Duchess,” jealousy motivates murder; In W.B. Yeats’ “No Second Troy,” jealousy colors admiration for Maud Gonne; In Adrienne Rich’s “Twenty-One Love Poems,” jealousy complicates lesbian love; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” jealousy is absent, highlighting loss.
Additional Notes
Jealousy—fear of losing something valued—often appears as obsession (Browning, Plath); differs from envy (wanting what another has) by its possessiveness; poetic techniques include surveillance imagery, comparisons, or violent metaphor; students should analyze power dynamics: Is jealousy gendered? Reciprocal?; note its link to insecurity.
Also Known As
Envy Covetousness Possessiveness Rivalry
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