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King Tutankhamun

Historical Figure
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

Egyptian pharaoh whose intact tomb revealed the splendor of the New Kingdom

Detailed Definition
Tutankhamun’s short reign was overshadowed by his 1922 tomb discovery, which captivated the modern world. Poets invoke him as a symbol of preserved mystery, the allure of ancient power, and the silent witness of artifacts speaking across millennia.
Example
Example in poetry:
King Tutankhamun, boy-pharaoh bright, sleeps in gold beneath desert night; Poets marvel at his untouched tomb—treasures defying time and gloom; His mask, a symbol of lost days, inspires verses on death’s golden haze; Though brief his reign, his name endures in stanzas rich with ancient lures; Tut in modern verse: a cipher sealed, where history and myth are revealed; His legacy in rhyme: youth, death, and glory wrapped in linen breath.
Additional Notes
Tutankhamun (c. 1341–1323 BCE), boy pharaoh of Egypt, gained global fame after the 1922 discovery of his intact tomb; in poetry, “King Tut” symbolizes ancient mystery, archaeological wonder, or the commodification of history—his golden mask and curse myth permeate 20th-century verse (e.g., by Ashbery or Plath); useful for analyzing poems on time, preservation, or Orientalist fascination with Egypt.
Also Known As
Tutankhamun King Tut
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