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Poisoned

Folklore
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

Affected by toxic magic or substance, often through food, drink, or touch, leading to slow decay, madness, or death.

Detailed Definition
Poisoned in poetry symbolizes insidious corruption—the slow unraveling of body, mind, or spirit. It appears in Gothic and psychological verse as the quiet end: not by sword, but by sip, by glance, by inherited curse disguised as love.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet: “The poison of the witch’s cup / Hath turned the king’s blood black”; in Keats’ “Lamia,” the wine is poisoned with illusion; in Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the sea’s breath is poisoned by the curse; in Tennyson’s “The Lady of Shalott,” the boat carries her to death, poisoned by sight; in Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” the father’s voice is a poisoned tongue; in Robert Browning’s “The Laboratory,” the speaker pours poison into the chalice—“Now that I’m here, I’ll make it sweet.”
Additional Notes
Poisoned describes affliction by toxic magic or substance—through food, drink, or touch—leading to slow decay, madness, or death. In folklore, poison is a quiet, intimate weapon, often administered by women. In poetry, it symbolizes betrayal, hidden corruption, or the erosion of trust. Poets use it to explore slow violence, the toxicity of relationships, and the invisibility of emotional harm.
Also Known As
Tainted Contaminated
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