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Narcissus

Mythology
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

Youth from Ovid’s Metamorphoses who pined for his own reflection, transforming into the flower that bears his name as a symbol of vanity.

Detailed Definition
Narcissus was a beautiful youth who rejected all suitors and fell fatally in love with his own reflection in a pool. His story gave rise to the term “narcissism.” In poetry, he represents self-obsession, the dangers of vanity, and the tragic inability to connect with others.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Ovid’s "Metamorphoses," Narcissus falls in love with his reflection, symbolizing self-obsession; In Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Alastor,” Narcissus represents the poet’s doomed introspection; In W.H. Auden’s “The Sea and the Mirror,” Narcissus embodies failed connection; In H.D.’s “Narcissus,” the figure explores gender and identity; In modern psychology-infused poetry, Narcissus often signifies alienation; In Tracy K. Smith’s “Watershed,” Narcissus’ pool reflects societal self-absorption.
Additional Notes
Narcissus, the youth who fell in love with his reflection and wasted away, symbolizes self-obsession, the illusion of identity, and the dangers of solipsism; poets use his myth to explore the gaze, desire, and the boundary between self and other—Ovid’s version in the Metamorphoses is foundational, and modern psychoanalytic readings (via Lacan) inform poetic treatments of ego formation and alienation.
Other Meanings of “Narcissus”
Also Known As
Self-Lover Flower of Vanity Echo’s Reject Daffodil
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