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mole

Fauna
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 mole is a small, subterranean insectivore with velvety fur and tiny eyes, symbolizing blindness, hidden labor, and the unseen forces beneath the surface.

Detailed Definition
The mole's life in perpetual darkness makes it a powerful poetic emblem for intuition, the unconscious, and the work that goes unnoticed. Its pushing up of earth in mounds suggests the slow, persistent upheaval of buried truths or emotions. Poets use the mole to represent the scholar or artist who works in obscurity, the blind but determined seeker, or the buried anxieties that surface in everyday life. Its lack of sight invites metaphors for spiritual blindness, yet its acute touch and hearing speak to a different, deeper way of knowing.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem contrasts the mole and the eagle: "The mole is blind, and under ground, Snug as a nest her home is found".; Aldous Huxley's "Mole" describes it as "The old mole-soul" tunneling through darkness.; The mole can symbolize hidden labor and blindness.; Its tunneling represents the unconscious.; The animal's myopia is noted.
Additional Notes
The mole's life in perpetual darkness makes it a powerful poetic emblem for intuition, the unconscious, and the work that goes unnoticed. Its pushing up of earth in mounds suggests the slow, persistent upheaval of buried truths or emotions. Aldous Huxley's poem "Mole" describes it as "the old mole-soul" tunneling through darkness, a figure for the buried self that works beneath the surface of consciousness. Poets use the mole to represent the scholar or artist who works in obscurity, the blind but determined seeker, or the buried anxieties that surface in everyday life. When writing, consider the mole's lack of sight as a metaphor for spiritual blindness or, conversely, for a different, deeper way of knowing that relies on touch and hearing.
Also Known As
jetty
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