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petitionary phrase

Phrase
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 humble request, especially directed to a divine or superior power

Detailed Definition
Petitionary phrases blend supplication with reverence, structuring devotional or crisis poetry around appeals for mercy, guidance, or intervention; their humility and specificity reveal the speaker’s dependence and spiritual vulnerability.
Example
Example in poetry:
Petitionary phrase: “O God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Psalm 22, echoed in devotional poetry); “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change” (Reinhold Niebuhr’s prayer, frequently adapted in modern verse); “Lend me your ears, O Muses, for my tale is heavy” (neo-classical invocation in contemporary epic attempts); “Hear, O Heaven, and give ear, O Earth” (Isaiah 1:2, foundational in prophetic poetic petitions); “Bless this fractured land with unity and peace” (modern civic poetry invoking collective healing)
Additional Notes
Petitionary phrases make humble requests: “Grant me strength, O Lord”; they are devotional, often directed to divine or higher powers; use subjunctive mood and formal diction; avoid entitlement—emphasize humility; related to beseeching phrase and supplicatory phrase; ideal for poems of prayer, plea, or spiritual need.
Also Known As
petition plea supplication
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