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narrative reversal

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 storytelling device where events or expectations are inverted dramatically within a poem.

Detailed Definition
Narrative reversal is a plot twist or structural inversion within a poem where expectations are subverted—such as a victim becoming a victor or a quest failing—creating dramatic irony, thematic complexity, or psychological depth through unexpected redirection.
Example
Example in poetry:
A heroic poem where the supposed villain is revealed to be the true hero or victim at the climax; A love story that begins with the reunion of two lovers but ends with the discovery that one is a ghost; A narrative where the quest for a treasure leads not to riches, but to self-knowledge; A poem that details a character's fall from grace, only to conclude with their spiritual or moral ascension;
Additional Notes
narrative reversal: A sudden and significant turn in the plot or direction of a story-telling poem, often subverting the reader's expectations; related to peripeteia in drama.
Also Known As
story reversal ironic narrative turn reversal in tale Balladic inversion Chronological inversion
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