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Performance-based

Concept
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

A type of poetry designed primarily for live or oral presentation rather than page reading.

Detailed Definition
Performance-based poetry prioritizes oral delivery, gesture, and audience interaction over the written page, often incorporating rhythm, voice modulation, and theatrical elements; it treats the poem as an event rather than an object, drawing from slam, spoken word, and ritual traditions to emphasize immediacy and embodied presence.
Example
Example in poetry:
Shakespeare’s plays — written for stage performance; slam poetry by Saul Williams — relies on vocal delivery; Homer’s epics — originally sung with lyre; Nuyorican poets like Pedro Pietri — performance central to meaning.
Additional Notes
Performance-based poetry relies on oral delivery—gesture, tone, rhythm key. Rehearse aloud; differs from page-centric forms—links to embodied composition.
Also Known As
Oral-form poetry performative verse spoken word live lyric Gestural
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