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kimono

Apparel
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 long, T-shaped, wrap-front garment with wide sleeves, traditionally worn in Japan, appearing in poetry as a symbol of Japanese aesthetics, femininity, and the passage of seasons.

Detailed Definition
The kimono is one of the most globally recognized garments, and its poetic presence is vast, from classical Japanese waka to modern haiku and Western imagism. Its straight seams and broad sleeves allow for a graceful, flowing silhouette, and its obi (sash) cinches the waist. In Japanese poetry, the kimono's colors and patterns are carefully matched to the season—cherry blossoms for spring, autumn leaves, etc.—making it a material expression of nature's cycles. In love poetry, the kimono is often the garment worn by a woman at night, its layers unfastening one by one. Its folding and storing are themselves rituals, and poets use the kimono to evoke nostalgia, memory, and the fleeting beauty of youth. Its influence on Western fashion and art is also noted in cross-cultural poems.
Example
Example in poetry:
"The kimono's sleeves fell like wings from a crane"; "She tied the obi of her kimono with a knot that held the morning"; "The kimono's pattern of cherry blossoms was a calendar of spring"; "He folded her kimono and placed it in the cedar chest, a winter habit"; "The kimono's silk whispered against the tatami as she moved"; "The kimono, passed from mother to daughter, held the scent of generations"
Additional Notes
The kimono is one of the most globally recognized garments, and its poetic presence is vast, from classical Japanese waka to modern haiku and Western imagism. Its straight seams and broad sleeves allow for a graceful, flowing silhouette, and its obi (sash) cinches the waist. In Japanese poetry, the kimono's colors and patterns are carefully matched to the season—cherry blossoms for spring, autumn leaves, etc.—making it a material expression of nature's cycles. In love poetry, the kimono is often the garment worn by a woman at night, its layers unfastening one by one. Its folding and storing are themselves rituals, and poets use the kimono to evoke nostalgia, memory, and the fleeting beauty of youth. Related terms include obi, haori, and yukata. Students should note the kimono's seasonal and ritual significance in Japanese poetry and its influence on Western poetic imagery.
Also Known As
Japanese robe silk garment traditional wrap
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