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rouse

Archaic Terms
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

To wake from sleep; to stir to action or excitement; to awaken or stimulate vigorously; to provoke to activity, anger, or enthusiastic response.

Detailed Definition
“Rouse” implies energetic revival—rousing troops, rousing passions. In poetry, it marks transition from passivity to action. The term’s vigor suits calls to arms or love. Poets use it to explore motivation’s spark, where rousing overcomes inertia, reinforcing themes of agency, inspiration, and transformative energy in narrative and dramatic contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Rouse thee, O sleeper, the dawn is near!” urges the watchman; In Milton’s “L’Allegro”: “Hence, loathed Melancholy... / Rouse up, my spirits, and you my fancies all”; “The trumpet’s call did rouse the camp”; “She roused her courage like a lioness”; “Rouse not the bear in winter”; The muse roused him from despair with song.
Additional Notes
“Rouse” carries martial or heroic energy—“rouse the troops!”—but also spiritual awakening; in devotional or revolutionary verse, it marks transitions from passivity to action, often paired with trumpets, drums, or divine calls.
Also Known As
awaken stir incite
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