Algorithmic poetry

Form
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

Poetry generated or structured using computational rules or algorithms

Detailed Definition
Algorithmic poetry is verse generated or structured using computational algorithms, mathematical rules, or procedural constraints—either wholly by software or through human-guided systems—where form, word choice, or sequence follows predetermined logic; this avant-garde practice explores the intersection of language and code, challenging notions of authorship and creativity, as exemplified by works using Markov chains, recursive functions, or generative grammar.
Example
Example in poetry:
Allison Parrish’s "Articulations," generated using word2vec algorithms to create surreal poetic sequences; Nick Montfort’s "Taroko Gorge," a Python-generated poem that endlessly recomposes nature descriptions; J.R. Carpenter’s "The Gathering Cloud," blending weather data and climate text through algorithmic remix; Stephanie Strickland and Nick Montfort’s "Sea and Spar Between," algorithmically combining Melville and Dickinson into 225 trillion stanzas
Additional Notes
Algorithmic poetry is generated or structured using computational rules, code, or mathematical procedures; often intersects with digital and conceptual poetry movements.
Also Known As
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