Home › Glossary › Letter Q

Quipu poem

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

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 modeled after Incan knotted-string recording systems (quipu)

Detailed Definition
A quipu poem uses the Andean knotted-string recording system as formal or conceptual inspiration, employing visual arrangement, color coding, or tactile metaphors to encode memory, history, or resistance; it challenges Western textual norms by privileging non-alphabetic, embodied knowledge systems.
Example
Example in poetry:
Quipu poem uses knotted-string structure: “Each knot a syllable, color a tone— / red for blood, black for night.”; Inspired by Incan quipus (knotted recording devices); “No alphabet, only tension— / meaning woven in twist and space.”
Additional Notes
Poem inspired by or structured like Incan quipu (knotted cord record-keeping). May use patterns, numbers, or tactile imagery. Related to concrete poetry. Study indigenous influences.
Also Known As
Knot poem Incan cord verse String-record poetry Quipu text
Skip to main content