Home › Glossary › Letter P

Period language

Diction
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

Words or expressions tied to a specific historical era used poetically

Detailed Definition
Period language in poetry refers to the deliberate use of diction, syntax, or idioms characteristic of a specific historical era to evoke authenticity, nostalgia, or critical distance; whether Elizabethan, Victorian, or Jazz Age, such language immerses the reader in a temporal context while commenting on the persistence or fragility of cultural memory.
Example
Example in poetry:
Diction, grammar, and vocabulary that are specific to a certain historical era, often archaic or deliberately antique; The use of "thee," "thou," "hath," and other Early Modern English forms in a poem; Vocabulary from the Victorian or Georgian eras used to evoke a specific time; The employment of obsolete or rarely used words to create a historical atmosphere.
Additional Notes
Period language: The use of archaic or historically specific vocabulary, syntax, or idiom associated with a particular historical era (e.g., Elizabethan, Victorian); creates a sense of historical authenticity or parody.
Also Known As
archaic diction historical language antique phrasing Archaism
Skip to main content