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Performance poem

Genre
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 performance poem is composed primarily for live oral delivery, prioritizing voice, gesture, rhythm, and audience engagement over page-based conventions.

Detailed Definition
A performance poem is crafted primarily for oral delivery rather than silent reading, prioritizing rhythm, vocal inflection, gesture, and audience interaction; rooted in oral traditions and amplified by 20th-century movements like the Beats and slam poetry, it often addresses social issues with immediacy, theatricality, and communal resonance.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sarah Kay’s “B” exemplifies performance poem through rhythmic cadence and audience address; Gil Scott-Heron’s “Whitey on the Moon” blends jazz and political critique; Performance poem by Patricia Smith: “Skinhead” uses persona and vocal intensity; Modern slam poetry by Fatimah Asghar merges trauma, identity, and theatrical delivery
Additional Notes
Performance poem: Poetry composed for oral delivery, emphasizing voice, gesture, and audience interaction; includes slam, spoken word, and sound poetry; prioritizes immediacy over page aesthetics.
Also Known As
Spoken poem Live verse Stage poetry Oral performance
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