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Rhizomatic poem

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 rhizomatic poem grows non-linearly with multiple entry points and branching connections, resisting hierarchy in favor of associative, networked meaning.

Detailed Definition
A rhizomatic poem, inspired by Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the rhizome, rejects hierarchical or linear structure in favor of nonlinear, multiplicitous connections; it may feature branching narratives, hypertextual links, or associative leaps, embodying anti-arborescent thought and open-ended meaning-making in digital or experimental poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Rhizomatic poem: In bpNichol’s "The True Eventual Story of Billy the Kid," non-linear, branching narratives mimic rhizomatic structures—growing in multiple directions without hierarchy.
Additional Notes
Rhizomatic poem spreads meanings through non-hierarchical connections, inspired by Deleuze and Guattari. Related to web structure and postmodern poetics. Resists single interpretation. Trace multiple reading paths.
Also Known As
Root-system poem Rhizome verse Network poetry Underground-stem poem
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