Home › Glossary › Letter W

withe

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 withe is a flexible twig or branch, often used for binding or weaving.

Detailed Definition
The word 'withe' refers to a slender, flexible branch or twig, typically used in traditional crafts for binding or weaving. In the poem, the imagery of young men burning like 'withes' suggests their vulnerability and the ease with which they can be consumed by the flames, symbolizing the destructive nature of the old men's actions. This term evokes a sense of fragility and the harsh realities faced by the youth.
Example
Example in poetry:
The young men burn like withes. If one run a little way, The old men are wrath. twigs; enhanced: "Young men burn like withes... wrath follows"; biblical: "Withes bound"; contemporary: "Withes of passion"; educational: "Withes flexible branches in violent imagery"; "Burning withes."
Additional Notes
The comparison of young men burning 'like withes' highlights their fragility and the destructive consequences of the old men's actions.; Found in the poem, The Fire by Lola Ridge
Also Known As
willow-wand supple branch osier twig flexible bough
Skip to main content