Home › Glossary › Letter C

Caribbean performance poetry

Movement
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

Oral poetry tradition from Caribbean culture emphasizing live performance

Detailed Definition
Caribbean performance poetry: A vibrant tradition of oral poetry originating in the Caribbean that emphasizes rhythm, music, dialect, and audience engagement. Influenced by African oral traditions, reggae, calypso, and dub poetry, this form often addresses social and political themes through dynamic spoken word performances that blur the boundaries between poetry, music, and theatrical expression.
Example
Example in poetry:
Derek Walcott's performance-oriented Caribbean verse; dub poetry by Linton Kwesi Johnson combining reggae rhythms with social commentary; calypso-influenced poetry for Carnival performances; spoken word pieces in Caribbean Creole dialects
Additional Notes
Rooted in oral traditions and carnival culture; often incorporates Creole languages and code-switching; typically performed rather than read silently; influenced by calypso, reggae, and political activism; includes dub poetry as a subgenre
Also Known As
West Indian oral verse Island spoken word Antillean vocal poetry Dub poetry tradition
Skip to main content