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Retroversion rhyme

Rhyme
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 technique where a rhyme is achieved by reversing syllabic order or sound elements to create echo.

Detailed Definition
Retroversion rhyme occurs when a word rhymes with its own reversal or anagram (e.g., “live” and “evil”), exploiting phonetic inversion for thematic resonance; though uncommon, it appears in puzzle poems or metaphysical verse to suggest duality, paradox, or hidden correspondences within language.
Example
Example in poetry:
Retroversion rhyme in Old English alliterative verse: “word/wyrd” (fate) reversed spelling/sound; In palindromic poetry: “stressed/desserts” as retroversion rhyme; Retroversion rhyme in Lewis Carroll’s mirror poems; Contemporary: “live/evil” used thematically and phonetically in feminist poetry
Additional Notes
Retroversion rhyme translates a poem back to its original language after translation to another. Technique reveals translation choices. Related to translation theory and comparative poetics. Study Nabokov's discussions for insights.
Also Known As
Backward rhyme Reverse-translated sound Back-conversion echo Restored rhyme
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