Home › Glossary › Letter L

Literal

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Describing language that means exactly what it says, without the use of figurative language or metaphor.

Detailed Definition
Literal in poetry describes language that conveys meanings exactly as stated, without symbolic or imaginative extension; literal descriptions focus on physical reality rather than metaphor, such as “the sun set over the hill” referring simply to the daily event; poets may employ literal phrasing deliberately for clarity, contrast, or grounding before shifting to more figurative resources within the text.
Example
Example in poetry:
William Carlos Williams’ “The Red Wheelbarrow” uses literal description: “glazed with rain / water”; Emily Dickinson’s “A Bird came down the Walk” describes bird behavior literally; Contemporary poet Mary Oliver’s “Wild Geese” uses literal address: “You do not have to be good”; Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” literally describes wall repair; Gary Snyder’s “Pine Tree Tops” uses literal observation of nature; Lucille Clifton’s “homage to my hips” literally celebrates bodily form.
Additional Notes
Literal refers to the surface meaning of words without interpretation; poets often contrast literal with figurative usage.
Also Known As
Word-for-word Exact meaning Denotative Non-figurative
Skip to main content