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maniac

Archaic Terms
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 person exhibiting extreme mental disturbance or irrational behavior.

Detailed Definition
Historically, the term 'maniac' referred to someone with severe mental illness, often used in a derogatory sense. In the context of the poem, it evokes a sense of desperation and obsession, highlighting the speaker's emotional turmoil and inability to escape their feelings. The use of 'maniac' underscores the intensity of the speaker's passion and despair.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Like the poor maniac I linger here, Still haunt the scene where all my treasure lies" (a person with madness); "The maniac raved in the cell" (institutional); "A maniac's wild laughter" (sound); "He ran like a maniac through the streets" (behavior); "Love made a maniac of him" (metaphorical)
Additional Notes
The term 'maniac' captures the speaker's emotional instability and obsessive longing, as seen in the line where they describe lingering in despair.; Found in the poem, Go! cruel tyrant of the human breast by Charlotte Smith
Other Meanings of “maniac”
Also Known As
madman lunatic frenzied being raving soul
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