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torments

Archaic 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

Severe physical or mental suffering; in poetry, torments describe extreme anguish, often used to heighten drama, evoke empathy, or illustrate a character's endurance through intense pain or persecution.

Detailed Definition
In literary contexts, 'torments' often evoke the intense emotional or psychological pain experienced by characters, particularly in romantic or tragic situations. The use of this term in the poem highlights the depth of suffering that love can bring, as seen in the line discussing the 'torments' of life and love.
Example
Example in poetry:
Of all the torments, all the cares,With which our lives are curst; pains; enhanced: "Torments and cares curse mortal coil"; Pope: "Torments of ambition"; contemporary: "Torments of anxiety"; educational: "Torments sufferings in Augustan satire"; "Cares compound life's torments."
Additional Notes
The word 'torments' is used to describe the severe suffering associated with love, emphasizing the emotional weight of the poem.; Found in the poem, Rivals by William Walsh
Also Known As
agonies tortures afflictions throes
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