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Reverence

World Religion
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 deep feeling of respect, awe, and honor directed toward that which is considered sacred or holy.

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Faith and Doubt in Poetry — Poetry has long been a place for speaking towards God, searching for meaning, resisting certainty and giving shape to silence. This guide explores devotional traditions and poems of doubt while offering practical ways to read and listen across differing beliefs.

Detailed Definition
Reverence is a fundamental religious attitude, the respectful acknowledgment of a power or presence greater than oneself. It is the emotional and spiritual posture underlying worship, prayer, and ritual in all traditions. Poetry is a primary medium for expressing reverence, as it uses elevated language, metaphor, and rhythm to convey awe for the divine, nature, or life itself. Through reverent verse, poets attempt to honor the sacred, evoke a sense of wonder in the reader, and create a space for contemplative appreciation of the mysteries of existence.
Example
Example in poetry:
In liturgical poetry, Reverence bows before mystery: “Knees touch stone—Reverence in the cathedral’s hush”; In Indigenous verse, Reverence honors earth: “Harvest prayer—Reverence for corn, soil, rain”; In contemporary poetry, Reverence is attention: “Watch child sleep—Reverence in quiet gaze”; Poets link Reverence to justice: “Reverence sees dignity in the dismissed.”
Additional Notes
Reverence combines awe and love—fear of God’s majesty with intimacy of divine nearness; it shapes posture (bowing), speech (hushed tones), and attention (mindful presence); in poetry, reverence is shown through precise language, careful observation, and humility before mystery—treating words themselves as sacred vessels.
Also Known As
Awe Veneration Piety obeisance
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