Home › Glossary › Letter E

embodied utterance

Concept
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

Speech or poetic expression that arises from or emphasizes physical presence and sensation

Detailed Definition
Embodied utterance describes poetic language that foregrounds the physical act of speaking—breath, vocalization, gesture—so that the poem feels inseparable from the body producing it; such verse often uses line breaks to mimic inhalation, employs onomatopoeia, or integrates performance elements, as in the oral poetics of Amiri Baraka or Anne Waldman.
Example
Example in poetry:
A poem where the speaker’s breath dictates line breaks, as in Charles Olson’s “Projective Verse”; A performance poem using vocal fry, gasps, or laughter as part of the text; A verse describing the physical act of speaking: “My tongue stumbles on the stone of your name”; A poem written to be shouted, whispered, or sung, with notation for delivery.
Additional Notes
Embodied utterance ties poetic language to physical acts of speaking, breathing, or gesturing; it’s central to performance poetry—consider how your body shapes your words.
Also Known As
Corporeal speech Flesh-bound utterance Bodily voice Somatic articulation Character verse embodied verse embodied poem
Skip to main content