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Psyche

Mythology
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

Mortal beloved of Eros whose trials led to apotheosis; symbolizes the soul’s journey through love, suffering, and transcendence.

Detailed Definition
Psyche’s beauty rivaled Aphrodite’s, leading to trials imposed by the goddess; her love for Eros and perseverance earned her immortality. Her name means “soul,” and her story allegorizes the soul’s journey through suffering to divine union. Poets use Psyche to explore love, trust, transformation, and the marriage of soul and desire.
Example
Example in poetry:
In Apuleius’s "The Golden Ass" (adapted poetically by Keats in “Ode to Psyche”), Psyche embodies the soul’s journey toward love; In John Keats’s “Ode to Psyche,” the goddess is newly discovered, symbolizing inner spiritual awakening; In Robert Browning’s “Pauline,” Psyche represents the idealized beloved; In W.B. Yeats’s “The Secret Rose,” Psyche’s trials mirror mystical initiation; In H.D.’s “Psyche,” the figure reclaims agency beyond passive myth; In modern feminist poetry, Psyche often signifies the integration of intellect and desire.
Additional Notes
Psyche, mortal lover of Eros whose trials symbolize the soul’s journey toward divine love, represents the integration of body and spirit; poets use her myth (from Apuleius’s The Golden Ass) to explore psychological depth, feminine resilience, and the transformative power of love—her name (“soul” in Greek) makes her a natural allegory in mystical and romantic verse.
Other Meanings of “Psyche”
Also Known As
Soul Embodied Lover of Eros Mortal Made Divine Personality Soul
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