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pledge

Verb
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

To promise or give as a sign of commitment. In older poetic usage, it can also mean to drink in return or offer a toast.

Detailed Definition
Here, Jonson uses the word in a courtly, ceremonial sense: the speaker says he will answer the beloved’s gaze with a reciprocal gesture. In this poem, “pledge” suggests a formal exchange rather than a modern legal promise.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Drink to me only with thine eyes, / And I will pledge with mine” — Ben Jonson, “Song: To Celia”; “I’ll pledge you in a cup of wine” — Robert Herrick, “To Anthea”; The sailors pledge the absent friend before the voyage; A speaker pledges loyalty to a beloved beneath the stars
Additional Notes
In the line “And I will pledge with mine;” the verb has an older toast-like sense that many modern readers may not immediately know.; Found in the poem, To Celia by Ben Jonson
Also Known As
oath vow commitment promise
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