Home › Glossary › Letter C

Catalog poem

Genre
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 poem structured as an extended list of persons, places, objects, or ideas, often used for accumulation, praise, or critique.

Detailed Definition
A catalog poem enumerates people, objects, experiences, or images in an expansive, often non-hierarchical list that accumulates meaning through accumulation rather than narrative; Whitman’s “Song of Myself” exemplifies its democratic inclusivity and rhythmic propulsion.
Example
Example in poetry:
A Catalog poem lists items to build rhythm or theme: "Shoes: red pumps, muddy boots, ballet slippers, hospital slippers, one lonely flip-flop lost in the rain."
Additional Notes
Catalog poem lists people, objects, or experiences to evoke abundance, memory, or collective identity; Whitman’s catalogs exemplify its democratic and expansive potential.
Also Known As
List poem Inventory verse Enumeration poem Litany form Inventory Enumeration verse Listing lyric Inventory poem
Skip to main content