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Reflexive Poetry

Technique
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

Poems that self-consciously address their own making or language

Detailed Definition
Reflexive poetry foregrounds its own artifice, interrogating poetic process, language, or reader expectations. From Romantic introspection to postmodern meta-poems, it reveals poetry as a constructed act, inviting audiences to consider how meaning is shaped by form, voice, and textual awareness.
Example
Example in poetry:
John Ashbery’s “Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror” reflects on the act of writing and perception; A reflexive poem might begin: “This line tries to capture thought, but thought escapes”; Another: “I write about writing, and the page stares back blank”; Billy Collins’s “Introduction to Poetry” reflects on how readers approach poems; Reflexive poetry often questions its own form, as in “This sonnet resists its own constraints.”
Additional Notes
Reflexive poetry self-consciously addresses its own making, language, or status as art; ranges from Romantic introspection (Wordsworth) to postmodern meta-poetry (Ashbery, Language poets); often questions representation, authorship, or readerly interpretation; students should analyze how reflexivity shapes meaning—does it deepen or distance?; techniques include apostrophe to the poem, commentary on writing, or fragmented syntax; avoid mere cleverness—reflexivity should serve thematic inquiry into poetry’s limits and possibilities.
Also Known As
Self-Reflexive Poetry Meta-Poetry Autopoetic Verse
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