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Lipogrammatic 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

Poetry deliberately omitting one or more letters of the alphabet as a formal constraint

Detailed Definition
Lipogrammatic verse systematically excludes one or more letters of the alphabet, challenging poets to compose within constrained lexicons; this formal exercise, dating to ancient Greece and revived by Oulipo, generates inventive diction and highlights the materiality of language, often thematizing absence, resistance, or linguistic play through deliberate omission.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ernest Vincent Wright’s novel “Gadsby,” written without the letter E; Georges Perec’s “La Disparition,” a French lipogram avoiding “e”; In poetry, Christian Bök’s “Eunoia,” each chapter using only one vowel; A short lipogrammatic verse avoiding “s”: “The quiet moon glowed over town— / no hint of wind, no falling crown”
Additional Notes
Lipogrammatic verse deliberately excludes one or more letters of the alphabet; a formal constraint that challenges diction and syntax—best used to underscore thematic absence or limitation.
Also Known As
Letter-Omission Poetry Alphabetic Exclusion Verse Constrained Alphabet Poem Oulipian Lipogram letter avoidance letter-avoiding poetry nonrepeating-letter text
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