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Lancaster

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

A famed British four-engine heavy bomber used by the Royal Air Force during WWII; referenced in modern war poetry to evoke air raids.

Detailed Definition
The Avro Lancaster was one of the main heavy bombers used by the Royal Air Force during World War II. In the poem, it identifies the aircraft being defended by the tail gunner, giving the scene a specific wartime setting.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Lancaster’s tail, where the danger hides” uses a historical name to lend the scene dynastic or regional resonance; In Shakespeare’s history plays, Lancaster identifies the royal house opposed to York; “A red rose of Lancaster stained the field” invokes the Wars of the Roses; A poet can use Lancaster as shorthand for inheritance, conflict, or English history
Additional Notes
The name in the evidence refers to a specific WWII bomber, which many readers may not immediately recognize.; Found in the poem, Tail-End Charlie by Richard
Also Known As
Heavy Bomber WWII Aircraft Avro Legend
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