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Resignation

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

Passive acceptance of something undesirable; giving up resistance.

Detailed Definition
Resignation in poetry sighs through flat tones, descending cadences, and images of surrender—lowered flags, falling leaves. It appears in elegies, war poems, and meditations on aging. Poets use resignation to convey wisdom or despair, often after struggle. It invites readers to reflect on the limits of agency and the grace of letting go. Resignation can be peaceful or bitter, and its presence often signals an ending or a turning toward acceptance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Resignation in Matthew Arnold's "Dover Beach" where resignation is a theme; In Thomas Hardy's poetry, resignation is a tone; In Samuel Beckett's poetry, resignation is existential; In "The Waste Land," resignation is a theme; In contemporary poetry, resignation can be peaceful or bitter; In "The Darkling Thrush," resignation is present.
Additional Notes
Resignation in poetry sighs through flat tones, descending cadences, and images of surrender—lowered flags, falling leaves—after struggle or in meditations on aging. In teaching, distinguish resignation from acceptance: resignation is passive surrender, while acceptance is active embrace. Resignation can be peaceful or bitter, signaling an ending or turning toward acceptance. Students should examine how poets use descending rhythm, imagery of fall or quiet, and elegiac tones to convey resignation's weary, sometimes wise surrender.
Also Known As
Submission acceptance surrender acquiescence capitulation Fatalism
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