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yielding shift

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 subtle transition in tone or logic that concedes ground before advancing a claim

Detailed Definition
A yielding shift is a volta where the speaker softens their stance, opens to new understanding, or releases resistance, often leading to reconciliation or insight; this turn emphasizes receptivity over assertion, marking a transition from rigidity to fluidity in thought or feeling.
Example
Example in poetry:
In “Ode to a Nightingale,” Keats yields to the bird’s immortality after human despair; In “When I Have Fears,” Keats yields to love’s value after fearing loss; In “One Art,” Bishop yields emotional weight to the final loss; In “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” Eliot yields to insignificance after grandiose thoughts.
Additional Notes
Yielding shift: A subtle turn where the poem softens, concedes, or opens to alternative views, often linked to concessive turns.
Also Known As
Conceding shift Yielding change Allowing movement Concessional volta Concessive turn
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