Home › Glossary › Letter M

Mirror poetry

Form
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 poem structured symmetrically so that its second half mirrors the first

Detailed Definition
Mirror poetry employs structural, lexical, or thematic symmetry so that the second half of the poem reflects or reverses the first, creating a palindromic or chiastic effect; this form explores duality, identity, or cyclical time, using visual and conceptual mirroring to deepen meaning through formal echo.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Lewis Carroll’s palindrome poem “A Palindrome,” the entire text reads the same backward and forward, exemplifying mirror poetry; In W.S. Merwin’s “Yesterday,” the structure reflects reversal and symmetry akin to mirror poetry; In contemporary examples, poets like J. A. Lindon craft mirror poems such as “Step on no pets”; In experimental poetry, mirror poetry may use mirrored typography or reversed stanzas to reflect thematic duality.
Additional Notes
Mirror poetry uses structural, linguistic, or visual symmetry to reflect duality or reversal; may include palindromes, mirrored stanzas, or thematic opposites; challenges linear reading and invites reflection on identity or perception.
Also Known As
Palindromic verse reflective poetry symmetrical text reversal lyric Palindrome verse
Skip to main content