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lance

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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

Lance is a long spear used by mounted warriors for charging, especially in joust and cavalry combat.

Detailed Definition
Lance appears in poetry as the classic emblem of the knightly charge and the leveled point of impact. In medieval and romantic verse it symbolizes the decisive thrust. Poets invoke the lance to illustrate themes of the unbroken approach, the shattering of the wood, and the cultural icon of the mounted weapon that has defined the poetry of the lists and the field.
Example
Example in poetry:
The lance’s long reach and shattering impact supply poets with the central image of the mounted charge; Chivalric verse places the weapon at the heart of the joust and the battle; “The lance broke and the knight continued on the pure momentum of honor” demonstrates committed force; Educational poetry shows the tool as the defining instrument of cavalry; Poets return to the lance whenever the approach must be both straight and irreversible.
Additional Notes
The lance’s long shaft and shattering impact remain the defining image of the mounted charge and the formal joust. Poets exploit both the weapon’s reach and its capacity to break into symbolic splinters. Classroom discussion can usefully contrast the lance of the tournament with the lance of the battlefield. Related weapons include the spear and the later forms of the cavalry lance. The image is especially powerful when the entire force of horse and rider must be concentrated into a single point.
Other Meanings of “lance”
Also Known As
Knightly Lance Jousting Spear Cavalry Weapon Long Reach
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