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Mortification

Psychology
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

Mortification: A psychological experience of intense humiliation, shame, or embarrassment; also a religious practice of self-denial and bodily discipline to subdue the flesh and achieve spiritual purity.

Detailed Definition
Mortification in poetry stings through blushing, shrinking, or abasing gestures. It appears in confessions, dramatic monologues, and religious verse, where pride is crushed. Poets use it to depict social disgrace, spiritual discipline, or the pain of unrequited love. Mortification can be cruel or redemptive, forcing the speaker to confront their limits. It invites readers to empathize with vulnerability and to consider the paradoxical power of surrendering dignity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Mortification in John Donne's holy sonnets where the speaker experiences mortification of the flesh; In George Herbert's "The Collar," mortification is a spiritual discipline; In confessional poetry, mortification often appears as shame; In dramatic monologues, mortification is a turning point; In Sylvia Plath's poetry, mortification is a theme; In religious poetry, mortification is a path to redemption.
Additional Notes
Mortification in poetry stings through blushing, shrinking, or abasing gestures, depicting social disgrace, spiritual discipline, or the pain of unrequited love. In teaching, distinguish mortification from shame: mortification is intense humiliation, while shame is a deeper sense of worthlessness. Mortification can be cruel or redemptive, forcing speakers to confront limits. It invites empathy and consideration of the paradoxical power of surrendering dignity. Students should examine how poets use imagery of shrinking, blushing, or kneeling, along with confessions of failure, to convey mortification's sting.
Other Meanings of “Mortification”
Also Known As
Humiliation shame embarrassment chagrin abasement
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