Home › Glossary › Letter H

Haptics

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

The poetic evocation of touch through descriptive language that appeals to the sense of physical contact and bodily awareness.

Detailed Definition
Haptics in poetry refers to the evocation or simulation of the sense of touch through language, where tactile imagery and sensory diction invite readers to "feel" textures, temperatures, or physical sensations; this technique deepens immersion and embodiment in the poem, as seen in works by Sylvia Plath or D.H. Lawrence that emphasize bodily and material experience.
Example
Example in poetry:
Haptics: In tactile poetry like that of the Brazilian Noigandres group, haptics—the sense of touch—is evoked through textured typography and spatial arrangement on the page.
Additional Notes
Haptics: Relating to the sense of touch; in poetry, haptic imagery evokes texture, temperature, or physical contact—enhances embodiment and sensory immersion (e.g., in ecopoetry or love lyrics).
Also Known As
Touch poetics Tactile aesthetics Physical sensation theory Texture study
Skip to main content