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Metanoia

Device
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 correction or retraction of a statement, where the speaker rephrases a preceding thought with a stronger or more appropriate one

Detailed Definition
Metanoia is a rhetorical correction or retraction within a single utterance, where the speaker revises their initial statement for greater accuracy, emphasis, or emotional effect—e.g., “I loved him—no, I worshipped him”; in poetry, this device reveals the mind in motion, capturing hesitation, intensification, or self-revision as integral to authentic expression, adding psychological realism to the lyric voice.
Example
Example in poetry:
Metanoia: "I loved you—no, I worshipped you"; "He’s a genius—or perhaps just lucky"; "This is disaster—well, maybe just setback"; "She’s perfect—flawed, but perfect to me"
Additional Notes
Rhetorical retraction or correction of statement just made. Related: correctio, self-correction. Example: "He's brave—no, reckless." Tip: Creates emphasis through apparent revision; common in enjambed lines showing second thought.
Also Known As
Correction figure Self-correction Rhetorical retraction Thought reversal Repentance Correctio Epanorthosis
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