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Pointing back

Device
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 device where a linguistic feature directs the reader back to an earlier reference.

Detailed Definition
Pointing back is a rhetorical or structural device in poetry where a later line, image, or stanza explicitly or implicitly refers to an earlier element, creating circularity, echo, or retrospective illumination; this technique reinforces thematic unity, deepens resonance, and invites readers to re-interpret initial passages through the lens of subsequent revelations.
Example
Example in poetry:
A reference in a poem to an event, idea, or character mentioned earlier in the same poem; The use of anaphora or a refrain that cycles back to a previously stated phrase; A poem where the final stanza revisits and recontextualizes an image introduced in the first stanza; A line that explicitly recalls a specific action or emotion from the poem's opening.
Additional Notes
Pointing back: A rhetorical or structural device where a line, phrase, or image in a poem makes a direct or implied reference to an earlier part of the same poem; creates cohesion and thematic resonance.
Also Known As
retrospective pointer backward reference reflective gesture Anaphoric
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