Home › Glossary › Letter L

liturgical echo

Device
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

A phrase or structure borrowed from or imitative of religious liturgy, repeated for solemn effect

Detailed Definition
A liturgical echo borrows rhythms, phrases, structures, or cadences from religious rites—such as psalms, masses, or chants—and repurposes them for secular or spiritual-but-not-religious themes. This technique lends gravity, communal resonance, or ritual solemnity to contemporary subjects like climate grief, social justice, or personal loss, as when a poem uses “Amen” as a refrain for urban despair. The echo bridges sacred tradition and modern experience without requiring doctrinal belief.
Example
Example in poetry:
Echo of Gregorian chant rhythms in free verse; Repetition of “alleluia” as structural anchor in secular poem; Liturgical call-and-response pattern adapted to urban lament; Psalm-like parallelism in poem about homelessness; Echo of “Dominus vobiscum” transformed into “Peace be with you, stranger”
Additional Notes
A liturgical echo borrows rhythms, phrases, or structures from religious rites (psalms, masses) for secular themes. The sacred framework lends gravity to contemporary lament or praise—e.g., “Amen” in a poem about climate grief.
Also Known As
antiphon-like Repetitive chant sacred refrain
Skip to main content