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Oppression

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

Systemic, unjust domination by powerful groups, frequently addressed in poetry through themes of resistance, marginalization, and social critique.

Detailed Definition
Oppression inflicts psychological as well as social harm. Poetry gives voice to resistance through defiant tone, coded language, or collective “we,” transforming personal pain into political testimony and solidarity.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Langston Hughes’ “I, Too,” oppression is imposed but temporary; In Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” oppression is defied repeatedly; In Audre Lorde’s “Power,” oppression fuels revolutionary anger; In Warsan Shire’s “Home,” oppression drives displacement; In Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen,” oppression manifests in microaggressions; In Ocean Vuong’s “Aubade with Burning City,” oppression echoes in war’s aftermath.
Additional Notes
Oppression—systemic injustice—is central to protest poetry (Angelou, Lorde); differs from individual prejudice by its institutional nature; poetic techniques include collective voice, historical allusion, or reclaimed language; students should analyze how poetry names, resists, or survives oppression; note its intersectionality—oppression compounds across identities.
Also Known As
Subjugation Tyranny Domination Exploitation
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