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Eye Contact

Performance
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

The intentional use of gaze to connect with listeners or direct attention. It can make a reading feel immediate and shared.

Detailed Definition
Eye contact helps transform a poem from text recitation into an exchange with an audience. A performer may look outward at key statements, briefly scan different parts of a room, or lower the gaze during inward reflection. These choices can shape intimacy, authority, vulnerability, or tension. Even when working from a page, a poet can use moments of eye contact to emphasize lines that invite response or recognition.
Example
Example in poetry:
While performing a poem addressed to a parent, the poet can look toward different audience members during direct address rather than stare at the page; In a refrain such as “you,” brief eye contact can make the listener feel personally included; A reader can glance down only to recover the next line, then return their gaze to the audience at the end of each phrase; During a vulnerable confession, looking slightly above the audience may preserve emotional distance while still appearing engaged
Additional Notes
Share your gaze across the audience instead of staring at one person or reading only from the page. Eye contact can underline key turns or questions.
Also Known As
Audience Contact
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