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Rejection

Psychology
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

The act of refusing to accept, recognize, or include someone or something; in poetry, it explores alienation, abandonment, and the emotional pain of being cast out.

Detailed Definition
Rejection in poetry cuts through flat declarations, images of closed doors, turned backs, and emptied spaces. It appears in love elegies, social outcast narratives, and political exclusion. Poets explore its emotional impact—shame, anger, liberation—and the resilience required. Rejection invites readers to empathize with the refused, while also examining the rejector's motives. It tests identity and belonging, often prompting a turn inward or a defiant new beginning.
Example
Example in poetry:
Rejection in Emily Dickinson's poetry where rejection is a frequent theme; In W.H. Auden's "Funeral Blues," rejection is mourned; In Sylvia Plath's poetry, rejection is a theme; In contemporary confessional poetry, rejection is explored; In "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," rejection is feared; In dramatic monologues, rejection is a turning point.
Additional Notes
Rejection in poetry cuts through flat declarations, images of closed doors, turned backs, and emptied spaces, appearing in love elegies, social outcast narratives, and political exclusion. In teaching, distinguish rejection from abandonment: rejection is refusal to accept, while abandonment is being left. Poets explore its emotional impact—shame, anger, liberation—and the resilience required. Rejection tests identity and belonging. Students should examine how poets use imagery of barriers, coldness, and exclusion, along with defiant or mournful tones, to convey rejection's sharp, identity-shaking force.
Also Known As
Refusal dismissal exclusion spurning rebuff
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