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logical impossibility

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

A poetic device presenting a contradiction or paradox that defies rational logic

Detailed Definition
Logical impossibility in poetry describes a deliberate contradiction, paradox, or absurdity that defies rational logic to express emotional truth, surreal vision, or metaphysical insight; by violating conventional coherence—e.g., “I am dead yet breathing”—it accesses deeper layers of meaning inaccessible to literal language, common in metaphysical or surrealist verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
“This silence is louder than thunder”; “I have died a thousand deaths and still breathe”; “The room was so empty it overflowed”; “Her smile was colder than the sun”
Additional Notes
Logical impossibility introduces paradox or contradiction to challenge reason or evoke wonder; common in metaphysical and surrealist poetry.
Also Known As
Poetic paradox Impossible image Contradictory conceit Surreal contradiction Cretan contradiction Liar paradox Paradox Self-reference paradox
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