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reflexive

Concept
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

Language or structure that refers to itself, drawing attention to the poem’s own making, medium, or linguistic nature.

Detailed Definition
Reflexive in poetry describes language that turns inward to examine its own construction, meaning-making processes, or the act of writing itself; reflexive poems often feature meta-commentary, self-reference, or linguistic play that foregrounds the medium’s limitations and possibilities.
Example
Example in poetry:
A verb or grammatical construction where the action reflects back onto the subject: "He bathed himself"; An emotional state or a perception that is self-referential: "She felt self-pity"; The use of pronouns that point back to the subject of the clause (e.g., myself, yourself, itself); A poetic statement where the poem is about the act of its own creation
Additional Notes
A grammatical or thematic construction where the action or focus of the verb/subject turns back upon itself (e.g., "The soul contemplates itself"); often highlights introspection or self-awareness.
Also Known As
Self-reflexive self-referential mirrorlike form Autological
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