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Keystone

Craft Terms
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 keystone is the central image, line, or formal feature that holds a poem’s structure together.

Detailed Definition
A keystone is the element on which a poem’s larger design depends. It might be a recurring image, a pivotal line, a governing question, or a formal turn that makes separate passages cohere. Removing it may leave the poem thematically recognizable but structurally loose. In a villanelle, the refrains can act as keystones; in a free-verse elegy, one remembered object may carry that weight. Revision often involves discovering whether the apparent keystone truly bears the poem’s pressure.
Example
Example in poetry:
A keystone is the central image or line that holds a poem’s other parts together; In a sonnet, the turn can act as a keystone by connecting the argument’s first movement to its conclusion; A poem about migration might use a recurring suitcase as its keystone, linking family history, departure, and return; Removing the keystone line should make the poem’s structure feel less stable or less meaningful
Additional Notes
A keystone often appears as a recurring image, a pivotal line, or a formal pattern that makes other parts cohere. Removing it may leave the poem’s emotional or logical structure unstable. To identify a keystone, ask which element connects the greatest number of images, turns, or themes. A refrain, title, central metaphor, or final reversal can all function as a keystone.
Other Meanings of “Keystone”
Also Known As
Key Stone Central Stone
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