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steeplechase

Games
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

Steeplechase is a horse race over a course with obstacles such as fences and water jumps.

Detailed Definition
Steeplechase enters poetry as a metaphor for the hazardous journey and the leap over barriers toward a distant goal. In verse it symbolizes the endurance of the long contest. Poets use the fences and the water to explore themes of obstacle and recovery, the racing heart of the chase, and the steeple as the visible mark of the finish in the landscape of effort.
Example
Example in poetry:
Steeplechase’s obstacles and distant finish supply poets with images of the hazardous and prolonged journey; Verse of the cross-country race uses the fences and water for the tests that must be cleared; “He rode the steeplechase of the years and cleared every barrier but the last” illustrates cumulative endurance; Educational examples present the sport as the race that includes the landscape itself; Poets invoke the steeplechase when the path must be both beautiful and punishing.
Additional Notes
Steeplechase’s obstacles and distant finish turn the race into a prolonged and hazardous journey through a landscape of fences and water. Poets who choose the form often wish to emphasize endurance, recovery, and the cumulative cost of the course. Teachers may explore the relationship between the steeplechase and the cross-country race. Related obstacle races include every form of the jumping contest. The image is especially effective when the path must be both beautiful and punishing.
Also Known As
Hurdle Race Jumping Course The Steeple Event
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