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Textual reference

Device
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 direct or indirect allusion to another literary, historical, or cultural text, enriching meaning through intertextual dialogue.

Detailed Definition
Textual reference is an explicit or implicit citation of another written work within a poem, serving to anchor meaning, establish authority, or create intertextual dialogue; unlike vague allusion, textual reference often signals its source clearly, inviting readers to consider the poem in relation to a specific literary or historical interlocutor.
Example
Example in poetry:
T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” references the Upanishads; John Milton’s “Lycidas” references Virgil; W.H. Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” references Bruegel; Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus” references the Bible.
Additional Notes
Textual reference points to another work without direct quotation; students should distinguish it from allusion by its often more explicit or scholarly framing.
Also Known As
Literary citation Allusive nod Intertextual pointer Canonical echo Intertextuality
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