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psalmic phrase

Phrase
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

An expression modeled on biblical psalms, blending lament, praise, and petition

Detailed Definition
Psalmic phrases use parallelism, direct address to God, and emotional range; they frame human experience within covenantal relationship, making personal crisis or joy part of sacred dialogue.
Example
Example in poetry:
Psalmic phrase: Praise the Lord, O my soul; the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord; bless the Lord, all ye his angels, ye mighty in strength.
Additional Notes
Psalmic phrases mirror the biblical psalms’ blend of lament, praise, and petition: “Praise the Lord, O my soul”; they use parallelism, refrain, and emotional arc to structure spiritual inquiry; employed by Hopkins, Herbert, and modern liturgical poets; maintain formal rhythm and archaic diction (“thee,” “thy”) for authenticity; avoid sentimentality—pair with earthly or bitter phrases to create tension; related to canticle phrase, hymnal phrase, and benediction formula; ideal for poems of doubt, grace, or communal worship.
Also Known As
psalm phrase biblical refrain liturgical praise
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