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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
The speaker’s emotional stance or attitude toward the subject, conveyed through diction, imagery, and syntax.
Explore this topic in depth (4)
How to Compare Poems
— Comparing poems is not a matter of making two separate lists. It is a way of seeing how poems ask related questions in distinct voices, shapes and sounds—and of discovering what each poem makes newly visible in the other.
How to Read a Poem
— Poetry is not a puzzle with one hidden answer that only experts can decode. Begin by noticing what a poem actually does: read it, hear it, question it, and return to it.
Volta
— A volta is a turn: the moment when a poem changes direction in its thinking, feeling, argument, perspective, tone or imagery. Though closely associated with the sonnet, the volta can occur in almost any poem and at almost any point.
How to Write About a Poem
— Writing about poetry is not a matter of finding hidden answers or naming as many techniques as possible. It is the practice of making a thoughtful claim, supporting it with well-chosen details, and explaining how those details create meaning.
Detailed Definition
Tone in poetry refers to the speaker’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through diction, syntax, imagery, and rhythm; it shapes the emotional atmosphere—whether ironic, melancholic, celebratory, or detached—and is crucial for interpreting a poem’s intent and effect beyond its literal content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Tone shifts dramatically in Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” moving from childlike to furious; in Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” ironic understatement masks existential doubt; Langston Hughes’s “I, Too” uses dignified tone to counter exclusion; in Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen,” clinical tone juxtaposes racial trauma for unsettling effect; Emily Dickinson’s dashes and capitalization create intimate, questioning tone in “I heard a Fly buzz—when I died.”
Additional Notes
Tone: The poet’s attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through diction, syntax, and imagery; ranges from ironic to elegiac; distinct from mood (the reader’s feeling).