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Sonic collage

Sound
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 technique assembling diverse sonic fragments—spoken word, found sounds, recorded snippets—into a poetic soundscape.

Detailed Definition
Sonic collage in poetry is a compositional technique that assembles disparate auditory elements—found text, multilingual fragments, onomatopoeia, rhythmic patterns, or noise—into a textured soundscape that prioritizes aural experience over semantic coherence; influenced by musique concrète and Dada, this approach treats language as sound material, as in the work of bpNichol or contemporary sound poets who layer vocalizations, environmental recordings, or typographical scores to evoke mood, disorientation, or cultural polyphony, challenging readers to listen to poetry as much as read it.
Example
Example in poetry:
Sonic collage: In Kamau Brathwaite’s "Caliban," typographical and phonetic experimentation blends English, Creole, and African sounds into a sonic collage reflecting diasporic identity.
Additional Notes
Sonic collage assembles disparate sound textures into unified composition. Related to found poetry and modernist techniques. Acoustic equivalent of visual collage. Juxtaposition creates meaning. Study sound poetry pioneers.
Also Known As
Sound collage Audio assemblage Sonic montage Acoustic pastiche Sampling aesthetics
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