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Reft

Archaic Terms
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

Reft means to be deprived of something, especially in a tragic or sorrowful context.

Detailed Definition
The term 'reft' is an archaic past participle of 'reave,' which means to rob or take away. In the poem, it conveys the deep loss experienced by the mother figure, emphasizing the emotional weight of her separation from her children. This usage reflects the historical context of slavery and its devastating impact on families.
Example
Example in poetry:
"Reft of her children, lonely, anguished, yet" bereft; enhanced: "Reft of her children, lonely, anguished, yet / Endures with grace"; Tennyson loss; contemporary: "Reft by migration"; educational: "Reft deprived in elegiac verse."
Additional Notes
The word 'reft' highlights the profound loss felt by the mother figure, as seen in the line 'Reft of her children, lonely, anguished, yet'.; Found in the poem, Oriflamme by Jessie R. Fauset
Also Known As
bereft deprived of plundered stripped away
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