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Tannhäuser

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

A legendary German Minnesänger whose tale of temptation by Venus and quest for papal absolution inspired Romantic literary works.

Detailed Definition
Tannhäuser’s myth, blending historical poet with tale of sensual sin and papal forgiveness, inspired Wagner’s opera. In poetry, he appears as the archetypal sinner-poet, symbolizing the conflict between sacred and profane love, the allure of forbidden pleasure, and the possibility of redemption through art.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tannhäuser in the medieval legend (and later Wagner’s opera) is a Minnesänger torn between sacred and profane love; The "Tannhäuserlied" constructs him as penitent sinner seeking papal forgiveness; Romantic poets like Heine use Tannhäuser to explore artistic transgression and redemption; His name symbolizes the conflict between sensual desire and spiritual yearning in German lyric tradition.
Additional Notes
Tannhäuser, a legendary Minnesänger torn between sacred and profane love, appears in medieval ballads and Wagner’s opera; his literary character embodies the conflict between sensual desire and spiritual redemption, making him a key figure for studying mythic duality in German Romantic and post-Romantic poetry.
Also Known As
Tannhauser
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