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Recursive sonnet

Form
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

A sonnet that refers to or incorporates itself, creating self-referential structure

Detailed Definition
A recursive sonnet is a fourteen-line poem that loops back on itself thematically or linguistically, often ending where it began or embedding its first line within its conclusion; this circularity reflects meditative or obsessive thought patterns, as in John Ashbery’s self-referential lyrics or Elizabethan sonnet sequences exploring cyclical desire.
Example
Example in poetry:
A sonnet that refers to itself as a sonnet within its lines; A 14-line poem where the last line describes the first; A sonnet about writing a sonnet, creating infinite regress; A verse where each quatrain comments on the structure of the poem itself.
Additional Notes
A recursive sonnet refers to its own creation or structure within its lines; it’s self-reflexive—use to explore the limits or power of poetry itself.
Also Known As
Self-referential sonnet Meta-sonnet Looping fourteen-liner Reflective quatrain sequence Circular sonnet Returning sonnet
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