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Shaped poetry

Form
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 in which the layout of text forms a shape related to the poem’s subject

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Detailed Definition
Shaped poetry (or concrete poetry) arranges words, letters, or lines on the page to form a visual image that reflects or enhances the poem’s subject matter; by integrating form and content spatially, it challenges purely linear reading, inviting viewers to experience meaning through both text and image.
Example
Example in poetry:
George Herbert’s “Easter Wings” is shaped like angel wings; Apollinaire’s “Il Pleut” arranges words like falling rain—shaped poetry; Mary Ellen Solt’s “Forsythia” mimics flower branches; Concrete poets like Eugen Gomringer use geometric arrangements for shaped poetry
Additional Notes
Shaped poetry: Verse whose lines are arranged spatially on the page to create a visual image or shape (e.g., a cross, a heart, a wing); the visual form adds meaning to the text; synonymous with concrete poetry or pattern poetry.
Also Known As
Pattern poetry visual poetry shaped verse Graphic verse Mimetic form visualised line
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