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Sonic recurrence

Sound
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

The repeated use of particular sounds for musical or mnemonic effect

Detailed Definition
Sonic recurrence uses repeated sounds—rhyme, alliteration, assonance—not just for musicality but to build thematic or emotional patterns across a poem; this auditory motif weaves coherence beneath semantic layers, guiding the reader’s ear through complex textures.
Example
Example in poetry:
Alliteration: “swift, silent shadows”; Assonance: “fleet feet sweep by sleeping geese”; Consonance: “first and last”; Repetition of “s” sounds in “softly, slowly, sunset’s sigh”
Additional Notes
Sonic recurrence uses repeated sounds (not necessarily rhyme) to unify a poem—includes alliteration, assonance, consonance; key in oral and sound-based poetics.
Also Known As
Phonetic recurrence sound repetition sonic echo auditory motif Mid-verse echo repeated sound Resonant repetition Within-verse echo
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