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performance poetry

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

Poetry composed or adapted specifically for oral presentation or live performance

Explore this topic in depth (1)

Sound Devices in Poetry — Sound devices are the patterns of speech that make a poem memorable to the ear as well as meaningful on the page. This guide explains how to hear alliteration, assonance, consonance and other effects, and how to describe what they do without reducing sound to a checklist.

Detailed Definition
Performance poetry is verse composed or adapted specifically for live oral delivery, emphasizing vocal dynamics, gesture, rhythm, and audience interaction; encompassing slam, spoken word, and Beat poetry, it prioritizes immediacy, emotional authenticity, and communal experience over page-based aesthetics, often incorporating improvisation and musicality.
Example
Example in poetry:
Ginsberg’s live readings of "Howl" with vocal intensity; Sarah Kay’s spoken word performances with gesture and pacing; Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem delivery; Def Poetry Jam pieces emphasizing rhythm and audience interaction; Beat poets performing with jazz accompaniment
Additional Notes
Performance poetry is composed for live delivery, emphasizing voice, gesture, and audience interaction; includes slam, spoken word, and Beat poetry; students should study how rhythm, repetition, and pacing serve oral impact; differs from page poetry by prioritizing immediacy; linked to "duration-dependent" and "vocal transition."
Other Meanings of “performance poetry”
Also Known As
spoken word oral lyric theatrical verse Fleeting poetry Spoken word movement Fluxus Poetry
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