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Gestural

Adjective
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

Describing poetry that evokes or is informed by expressive physical movement, often suggesting dance, posture, or kinetic energy.

Detailed Definition
Gestural in poetry refers to language that enacts physical movement, posture, or bodily presence through rhythm, spacing, or typographic arrangement; it transforms the page into a performative space where words “gesture” toward action, emotion, or spatial orientation beyond semantic content.
Example
Example in poetry:
Gestural: In performance poetry, such as that of Anne Waldman, gestural elements—hand movements, vocal inflections—become integral to the poem’s meaning beyond the printed word.
Additional Notes
Gestural: Relating to physical movement or expressive action; in performance poetry, gestures enhance meaning—also describes poems that “gesture toward” ideas without stating them directly.
Also Known As
Physical verse Embodied poetry Performance-based Bodily expression
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