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Metaphorically strained

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

A figure of speech applied with excessive or awkward extension, straining the resemblance between tenor and vehicle; in poetry, it can create humour, unease, or a deliberate collapse of figurative coherence.

Detailed Definition
Metaphorically strained describes figurative language pushed to its limits—through excessive abstraction, forced comparison, or conceptual overload—risking obscurity or breakdown; while potentially powerful, such strain can signal poetic ambition or failure, depending on execution.
Example
Example in poetry:
'Her smile was the glue that held the crumbling skyscraper of my day together' (overly elaborate, forced comparison); 'The silence of the room was a tapestry woven from the frayed ends of unspoken goodbyes' (the image struggles under the weight of its components); 'His ambition, an oily stain on the spotless tablecloth of my pure intent' (an overly literal and awkward combination); 'The politician’s words, a feather duster polishing the granite face of truth' (combines an insignificant action with a weighty object).
Additional Notes
The use of a metaphor or comparison that seems forced, overly elaborate, or unnatural; can be a deliberate choice (as in Metaphysical poetry) to challenge the reader or a perceived flaw in a less-skilled poet.
Also Known As
Overstrained metaphor tortured metaphor excessive figurative strain Catachretic Catachresis
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