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Temper

Craft Terms
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

To moderate or balance a poetic element so it gains strength without becoming excessive. A poet may temper anger with restraint, ornament with plainness, or certainty with doubt.

Detailed Definition
Tempering in poetry means adjusting an intense quality until it can coexist with contrasting pressures. A furious speaker may be tempered by a small domestic detail; a lush description may be set against a spare line; an absolute claim may be opened by a question. The aim is not dilution but durability. By tempering the poem’s materials, the writer creates complexity and prevents a single mood, register, or idea from exhausting the reader’s attention.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poet tempers a violent image by placing it beside a quiet domestic detail, such as a slammed door followed by a child folding socks; Tempering a claim replaces certainty with complexity, changing “everyone leaves” to “many departures begin before goodbye”; A poet can temper a highly ornate passage with a plain, short line that resets the reader’s attention; Tempering does not erase intensity but controls it so the poem can sustain emotional force without becoming melodramatic.
Additional Notes
Tempering keeps a powerful element from overwhelming the poem. A poet may temper accusation with image, lyric intensity with understatement, or ornate language with plain speech. Tempering does not mean weakening emotion; it can make emotion more credible and durable. The practice is related to restraint, modulation, balance, and tonal nuance.
Also Known As
Moderate Soften spleen
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