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Pity

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

Compassionate sorrow for another's suffering; tenderness mixed with sorrow.

Detailed Definition
Pity in poetry softens through gentle rhythms, images of the helpless, and inclusive pronouns. It drives elegy, protest, and humanitarian verse, as in Blake's "Chimney Sweeper." Pity bridges distance between speaker and subject, fostering empathy. Yet pity can be condescending; skilled poets complicate it, making the sufferer's agency felt. Pity invites moral reflection, often questioning the observer's complicity.
Example
Example in poetry:
Pity in William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper" where pity for the child is evoked; In John Milton's "Lycidas," pity is a response to death; In W.H. Auden's "Musée des Beaux Arts," pity is for Icarus; In contemporary poetry, pity is often complicated; In war poetry, pity for soldiers is common; In "The Waste Land," pity is a rare emotion.
Additional Notes
Pity in poetry softens through gentle rhythms, images of the helpless, and inclusive pronouns, driving elegy, protest, and humanitarian verse. In teaching, distinguish pity from compassion: pity is sorrow for another's suffering, while compassion is active empathy. Pity bridges distance but can be condescending; skilled poets complicate it, making sufferers' agency felt. It invites moral reflection, questioning the observer's complicity. Students should examine how poets use imagery of vulnerability, second-person address, and elegiac tones to convey pity's tender yet complex reach.
Also Known As
Compassion sympathy mercy kindness tenderness Pitty ruth
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