Home › Glossary › Letter O

Objurgatory mode

Genre
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 mode of poetry characterised by scolding, denunciation or rhetorical rebuke.

Detailed Definition
Objurgatory mode is a poetic stance of stern rebuke, moral censure, or prophetic condemnation—using imperative diction, rhetorical questions, and fiery imagery to denounce vice, injustice, or hypocrisy; rooted in biblical prophecy and satirical traditions, it appears in Auden’s wartime poems or contemporary climate elegies where the poet assumes the role of accuser, demanding accountability through urgent, unflinching language.
Example
Example in poetry:
Objurgatory mode: “You broke the world—fix it!” (indictment); “Elegy turns to anger in stanza 3” (emotional); “Mode of righteous condemnation” (functional); “Not lament, but lash” (contrastive)
Additional Notes
Tone of harsh criticism or scolding. Rhetorical mode. Related to invective, satire. Study tip: Listen for accusatory voice; often uses direct address and moral judgment.
Also Known As
invective mode rebuking lyric
Skip to main content