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Roundabout verse

Form
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

Verse that progresses through indirection, circumlocution, or repetitive detours, evoking a speaker's hesitancy, irony, or intricate thought.

Detailed Definition
Roundabout verse is poetry that employs circuitous phrasing, digressive syntax, or recursive imagery to delay or complicate direct statement, often for humorous, evasive, or contemplative effect; this meandering style mimics thought processes, social indirection, or the ineffability of certain experiences through deliberate verbal detours.
Example
Example in poetry:
A type of verse that is intentionally indirect, circuitous, or excessively elaborate in its expression, delaying the central point or theme.; A poem that uses periphrasis (circumlocution) extensively, describing simple objects or ideas in long, complex, and indirect ways.; A style of poetry where the syntax is extremely complicated and inverted, making the reader follow a winding, convoluted path to the meaning.; A poem that uses so many nested metaphors and layered allusions that the original subject is obscured, forcing the reader to take a 'roundabout' route to comprehension.
Additional Notes
Roundabout verse is a descriptive term for poetry that is intentionally circuitous, indirect, or verbose in its expression, often employing circumlocution or highly complex syntax to delay the main point.
Also Known As
Roundabout poem circular verse encircling poetry Circumlocutory verse periphrastic verse
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