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Ornamental line

Form
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 highly decorative or elaborate line of verse emphasizing aesthetic over plain meaning

Detailed Definition
Ornamental line is a poetic line distinguished by elaborate diction, intricate sound patterning, or decorative imagery that prioritizes aesthetic embellishment over narrative function; often appearing in Parnassian or Decadent verse, such lines showcase technical virtuosity and sensory richness, turning language itself into an object of beauty through meticulous craftsmanship and stylistic flourish.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Spenser’s “The Faerie Queene,” lines like “Whilome, as olde stories tellen us” serve as ornamental line through archaic diction; In Swinburne, “O lips full of the bitter foam of tears” is an ornamental line; In Victorian devotional poetry, excessive adjectives create ornamental line; In Keats’s “Endymion,” “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” functions as ornamental line through aphoristic elegance.
Additional Notes
Ornamental line: A decorative line rich in figurative or stylistic embellishment; often used for flourish or elevated tone.
Also Known As
Decorative line Embellished verse Ornamental flourish Coloratura line Efflorescence line
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