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Realism

Philosophy
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

Realism asserts that reality exists independently of human thought, perception, or language.

Detailed Definition
Poetic realism manifests as fidelity to observable truth, social conditions, or psychological depth. Though all language mediates, realist poets strive for authenticity through concrete detail, refusing escapism in favor of witnessing the world as it is.
Example
Example in poetry:
William Carlos Williams’s "This Is Just To Say" uses plain diction to reflect real domestic life; Charles Reznikoff’s "Testimony" compiles court records into poetic realism; Muriel Rukeyser’s "The Book of the Dead" documents industrial disaster with factual precision; Gwendolyn Brooks’s "kitchenette building" portrays urban poverty without romanticization; realism appears in Claudia Rankine’s "Citizen," which uses actual racist encounters as poetic material.
Additional Notes
Realism asserts mind-independent reality; poetic realism (Williams, Brooks) grounds truth in observable detail; however, all language mediates—students should ask: whose reality is deemed “real”? Realism often masks ideological assumptions about objectivity, especially regarding race, class, and gender experience.
Also Known As
Philosophical Realism Naïve Realism Critical Realism Realist Period Verisimilitude
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