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Retardation

Device
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 rhetorical device where the expected rhythm or meaning is delayed

Detailed Definition
Retardation in poetry describes a deliberate slowing of rhythm, pace, or syntactic progression to emphasize a moment, heighten tension, or evoke contemplation; this technique may involve caesuras, enjambment delays, polysyndeton, or extended descriptions that suspend forward momentum for dramatic or emotional effect.
Example
Example in poetry:
Retardation delays resolution for tension: "She reached for the letter— / not the one from war, / not the one from home, / but the one she’d written herself, unsent."
Additional Notes
Retardation: A rhetorical or rhythmic slowing down for emphasis—achieved through caesura, polysyndeton, or longer phrases; often used to heighten drama or introspection.
Also Known As
Slowing Delay device Drag technique Retarding mechanism
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