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sound-based imagery

Imagery
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

Imagery that evokes auditory sensations—such as silence, echo, or cacophony—allowing readers to “hear” the scene through descriptive language.

Detailed Definition
Sound-based imagery constructs vivid mental impressions primarily through auditory cues—rhythm, pitch, volume, and timbre—rather than visual or tactile details; it immerses the reader in an acoustic environment, making the poem’s soundscape as central to meaning as its semantic content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Imagery rooted in auditory experience: "The city’s heartbeat: sirens, horns, footsteps"; "The forest’s breath: rustling, creaking, chirping"; "Ocean’s voice: crash, sigh, whisper"; "Night’s symphony: owl, cricket, wind"
Additional Notes
Sound-based imagery is a broader term for poetic language that appeals strongly to the sense of hearing; it includes auditory imagery and the use of sonic devices to create a vivid acoustic scene.
Also Known As
Sound imagery acoustic picture auditory figure Auricular image
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