"Floh-ree-dah" rather than "Flor-duh"

Question

I am writing an effigy poem homaging Ponce De Leon, "discoverer" of La Florida in 1513 and though it is being written in English (Early modern English), I am very adamant on having "Florida" be enunciated by a reader in its Spanish pronunciation. So I want it to be pronounced as ((floh-ree-dah) (IPA: floɾiða)) rather than the "American" pronunciation of ((flor-duh or Flawr-I-duh)(IPA: flɔɹdə)).

My question is: are there any "devices" I can use in a poem to signify that the reader should pronounce it in its Spanish-spoken pronunciation. As I find it inevitable that if I do not signify my intentions on the word being pronounced thus, it would be immediately assumed by any non-Spanish reader to pronounce it differently.

For example, I have previously used the accented "é" in my plays, to signify to an actor that the "e" must be pronounced. Something like this.

P.S. I am not asking for assistance on a different language (so I very much hope I am not going against any of EL&U's rules), I am merely requesting tools to infer that one should pronounce a certain word in its original-tongue's dialect when being used in an otherwise completely English written poem.

Any insight would be lovely and most humbly appreciated.

Answer 1

Since you’re writing a poem, you can use cadence fairly blatantly to highlight pronunciation. Compare the following:

• Micky’s FLORida settled sooner; vs
• And then the barista FloRIda discovered.

Sustaining the cadence over multiple lines would further ‘force’ the pronunciation.

Answer 2

Two suggestions:

1. Use rhyme. Find a word (or two) which, when pronounced in English, rhyme with the Spanish pronunciation of Florida. Your first use of "Florida" should then be as a rhyme to those words. (I'm sorry: I'm not clear on the Spanish pronunciation, so can't offer any suggested rhymes.)
2. Use an indisputably Spanish word in conjunction with Florida, either once or always. Again, I don't know any Spanish (I don't event know whether Florida would be regarded as masculine or feminine; I'll assume the latter) but a phrase like "bella Florida" or "bonita Florida" might give the reader the nudge to realise that Spanish pronunciation is desired.

(In fact as I write I see that "bonita Florida" might fit both).

Answer 3

Indicating a required pronunciation in writing is all but impossible without the use of a footnote. I am assuming that you do not want to do that. If the metre of the poem allows, I would use La Florida (keeping the italics) in the hopes that this will be enough to encourage [la floˈɾiða]

Answer 4

Flórída. I just googled 'Florida Spanish pronunciation' and saw this spelling. Might work for you. Or since it's a poem, if you can get away with spelling, you can write FloREEda.