Home › Glossary › Letter S

Shelling

Military
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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

Shelling refers to the sustained firing of artillery shells against a target or position.

Detailed Definition
Shelling created a defining, terrifying soundscape of First World War poetry, the relentless bombardment that soldiers endured for days or weeks at a time within their trenches. Poets used shelling to capture the psychological deterioration caused by prolonged exposure to random, inescapable violence from above, the constant threat of shells contributing significantly to shell shock and the profound trauma that came to characterize much of the era's most searing war poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Wilfred Owen's poetry frequently depicts the psychological deterioration caused by prolonged, relentless shelling; A poem might use fragmented, disjointed lines to mimic the disorientation of constant shelling; Poets use "shelling" to capture the defining, terrifying soundscape of First World War trench life; A verse could contrast brief lulls in shelling with the dread of its inevitable resumption; The term appears prominently in poetry documenting shell shock and lasting battlefield trauma; Historical war poetry sometimes uses shelling to convey warfare's random, inescapable violence from above.
Additional Notes
Shelling refers to the sustained firing of artillery shells against a target or position. Shelling is a form of bombardment, intended to destroy, suppress, or demoralize the enemy. The prolonged "drumfire" of shelling was a defining feature of World War I. In poetry, shelling represents the relentless, impersonal terror of modern war, the constant threat of random death. Related terms include artillery, bombardment, and barrage. The psychological impact of shelling—the noise, concussion, and waiting—is a profound theme. The term is also used more broadly to mean bombarding with criticism.
Also Known As
Bombardment Barrage Cannonade Artillery Fire Gunfire Artillery barrage
Skip to main content