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Laozi

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

Legendary Chinese philosopher and founder of Daoism, author of the "Daodejing"

Detailed Definition
Laozi’s teachings emphasize wu wei (non-action), simplicity, and harmony with the Dao. His historicity is uncertain. Poets reference him as a symbol of quiet wisdom, the rejection of force, and the path of flowing with nature rather than dominating it.
Example
Example in poetry:
Laozi, sage of the Tao, wrote eighty-one verses that softly flow; Poets quote “the way that can be told is not the eternal Way” in contemplative hold; His water-like wisdom—yielding yet strong—shapes stanzas where stillness belongs; In haiku and free verse alike, Laozi’s paradoxes strike; “Governing a large country is like frying a small fish”—a line poets relish; His legacy: simplicity, balance, and the uncarved block’s alliance.
Additional Notes
Laozi (6th century BCE?), legendary founder of Daoism and attributed author of the “Daodejing”; in poetry, Laozi symbolizes wu wei (non-action), natural harmony, or anti-rational wisdom—his paradoxical aphorisms influence East Asian and modernist poets (e.g., Pound, Rexroth); useful for analyzing poems on stillness, emptiness, or the critique of ambition in philosophical verse.
Also Known As
Lao Tzu Lao-Tze
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