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Dromology

Philosophy
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

Dromology is the study of speed and its effects on society, perception, and time, coined by Paul Virilio.

Detailed Definition
Though rare, dromology appears in contemporary poetry addressing acceleration, technology, and the erosion of presence. Poets may critique the velocity of modern life—fragmented attention, digital overload—using form or rhythm to mimic or resist the rush of late-capitalist time.
Example
Example in poetry:
Paul Virilio’s concept appears implicitly in Don DeLillo’s poetic prose on acceleration, influencing poets like Claudia Rankine; Jorie Graham’s "The Future" uses fragmented lines to mimic the speed of digital perception; in "Fast-Fish," A.R. Ammons’s rapid associative leaps reflect dromological consciousness; contemporary poets like Ocean Vuong capture the disorientation of refugee experience as a form of forced velocity; dromology underlies Anne Carson’s "Short Talks," where brevity mirrors the hastened attention economy.
Additional Notes
Dromology (from Greek dromos, “race”) examines how speed transforms perception, politics, and temporality; though rare in canonical poetry, it emerges in contemporary works addressing digital acceleration, migration, or climate crisis (Graham, Vuong); students should consider how line breaks, enjambment, or fragmented syntax might formally enact or resist the logic of velocity and immediacy.
Also Known As
Philosophy of Speed
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