Home › Glossary › Letter M

material general

Concept
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 universal truth conveyed via references to physical substance or matter

Detailed Definition
Material general refers to abstract ideas that are made universally relatable through grounding in specific physical details; by anchoring broad concepts in tangible examples—like using a cracked teacup to symbolize fragility—the poem achieves both concreteness and philosophical reach.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “The Red Wheelbarrow,” Williams generalizes dependence through a specific object; In “This Is Just To Say,” the plums generalize desire and guilt; In “Fog,” the cat generalizes stealth and quiet; In “The Fish,” the rainbow generalizes beauty from decay.
Additional Notes
Material general: A broad statement expressed with reference to the physical world; often grounds universals in imagery.
Also Known As
General matter Universal material All-pervading substance Concrete universal
Skip to main content