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Literal sense

Concept
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

The primary, non-figurative meaning of a word or phrase in a poem

Detailed Definition
Literal sense refers to the primary, denotative meaning of words before metaphorical or symbolic interpretation; grounding abstract or emotional poems in literal detail enhances clarity and authenticity, as the concrete provides a stable foundation from which figurative language can meaningfully depart without becoming vague or evasive.
Example
Example in poetry:
Literal sense uses words in their primary, non-figurative meaning, as in Williams’ “This Is Just to Say”: “I have eaten / the plums”; In “The Red Wheelbarrow,” the wheelbarrow is just a wheelbarrow; Another: “She walked to the store. She bought bread. She came home.”
Additional Notes
Literal sense refers to the primary, denotative meaning of words before metaphorical or symbolic layers; grounding abstract poems in literal detail enhances clarity and emotional authenticity.
Also Known As
Denotative meaning Plain reading Surface signification Exact meaning Explicit sense
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