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Stefan George

Literary Character
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

German symbolist poet of elitist aesthetics and prophetic vision

Detailed Definition
George’s "Algabal" and later works cultivated a cult-like circle, promoting art as spiritual aristocracy against modern vulgarity. In poetry, he appears as a high priest of form, symbolizing the rejection of democracy in art, the mystical power of language, and the tension between aesthetic purity and political implication.
Example
Example in poetry:
Stefan George’s "Algabal" constructs the decadent emperor as symbol of aesthetic isolation; His "Der Stern des Bundes" creates a secret circle of disciples as poetic community; George’s use of archaic diction and symbolism gives his persona prophetic authority; His influence on Rilke and Benn shapes the poet as cultic leader in modern German lyric.
Additional Notes
Stefan George, a symbolist poet, cultivated an elitist, prophetic poetic persona surrounded by a devoted circle; his literary characters—often idealized youths or mythic figures—serve as vessels for aesthetic and spiritual renewal, central to understanding German literary modernism’s cult of the poet-seer.
Also Known As
Stefan Anton George
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