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expansive verse

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

Verse characterized by long, flowing lines that resist compression, often embracing digression, inclusivity, and Whitmanesque amplitude of expression.

Detailed Definition
Expansive verse favors long lines, inclusive diction, and democratic subject matter to embrace multiplicity, contradiction, and the full range of human experience; rooted in Whitman’s legacy, it rejects elitism and compression in favor of open forms that mirror the sprawling, interconnected nature of modern life.
Example
Example in poetry:
Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass” exemplifies expansive verse through inclusivity; Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” uses long lines for expansive social critique; Hart Crane’s “The Bridge” uses ornate syntax for expansive vision; Adrienne Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck” expands lyric into political space; Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen” uses prose-poetry for expansive racial analysis; Ocean Vuong’s “Time Is a Mother” uses expansive verse to hold grief and beauty.
Additional Notes
Verse characterized by its broad scope, detailed descriptions, and unconstrained length, often dealing with large themes or a wide range of subjects; the opposite of economy of language.
Also Known As
Broad verse Widening poem Expansive lyric Sweeping song Capacious line Extended measure Spacious verse
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