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ink poetry

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

Poetry emphasizing materiality of ink, visuals of text, or calligraphic quality

Detailed Definition
Ink poetry refers to verse that thematizes or is inspired by the physicality of writing—ink, brushstrokes, paper, and the act of inscription—often blending visual and textual elements; rooted in East Asian calligraphic traditions but also present in Western concrete poetry, it explores the materiality of language itself.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ink poetry emphasizes materiality of writing: Chinese calligraphic poetry; Sei Shōnagon’s “Pillow Book” ink aesthetics; modern examples include Tom Phillips’ “A Humument” as ink-redacted text; contemporary poets like Jen Bervin use silk and ink in “Nets”; hand-stamped poetry by visual artists like Xu Bing.
Additional Notes
ink poetry: A term used to describe calligraphic, visual, or concrete poetry where the appearance of the written words—the ink on the page—is central to the poem's meaning and aesthetic effect; emphasizes the visual materiality of the text.
Also Known As
ink verse calligraphic poetry pen-and-ink poem script poetry
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