Home › Glossary › Letter P

Praise song

Black American
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 poem of honour, gratitude, celebration, or blessing for people, places, ancestors, or values.

Detailed Definition
The praise song has roots in African and diasporic oral traditions and is often communal in spirit. African American poets use it to celebrate ancestors, workers, mothers, children, Black beauty, survival, and ordinary life. It balances sorrow with affirmation and public gratitude.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem honours a mother, worker, ancestor, or community leader; Praise song uses blessing, gratitude, and celebration; A speaker lists ordinary acts of courage as worthy of song; The form balances hardship with reverence and affirmation
Additional Notes
Praise song is an important poetic form and mode rooted in African and diasporic oral traditions, centred on celebration, honour, blessing, and communal affirmation. In African American poetry, praise songs may honour ancestors, mothers, workers, artists, children, or ordinary acts of endurance. Students should note that praise does not exclude sorrow; many praise poems balance suffering with gratitude, resilience, and public recognition of dignity.
Also Known As
Praise poem laudatory verse
Skip to main content