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Pediment

Architecture
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 triangular crowning element above a facade or entrance. In poetry, it describes a framing summit that gives an ending ceremonial emphasis.

Detailed Definition
A pediment is the triangular upper portion above the front of a classical building, often set over columns and filled with sculpture. In poetry, it can refer to an elevated concluding arrangement that gathers earlier materials beneath a formal peak. The effect may be ceremonial, declarative, or commemorative. A pediment differs from an ordinary climax because it frames and displays what it crowns. The term suits endings that make a poem's structure visible while granting its final image public dignity.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A cracked pediment crowned the temple door” uses pediment for the triangular gable above a classical façade; A poet can write “birds nested in the pediment’s broken gods” to contrast living nature with ruined sculpture; “The pediment lifted its stone triangle against the storm” emphasizes the formal outline of classical architecture; “Her name was carved beneath the pediment” uses the structure as a sign of public honor or authority
Additional Notes
A pediment gives a facade a formal triangular crown. Poetically, it can describe an elevated final frame, especially an ending that gathers earlier material into a ceremonial or emblematic shape.
Also Known As
Triangular Gable
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