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Speaking piece

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

A speaking piece is a poem designed to include spoken elements—dialogue, address, or performative utterance—as central to its meaning and form.

Detailed Definition
A speaking piece is a poem written to be performed aloud, emphasizing oral delivery over silent reading. This form privileges voice, rhythm, and performative elements, often employing conversational language and structures that suit spoken presentation.
Example
Example in poetry:
Speaking piece appears in dramatic monologues like Browning’s “My Last Duchess”; modern example: Claudia Rankine’s “Citizen” uses second-person address as speaking piece; speaking piece performs voice for social critique; it’s common in slam and documentary poetry; this form emphasizes orality and presence; it often blurs fiction and testimony.
Additional Notes
A poem written as if spoken aloud, emphasizing oral delivery and conversational directness over written formality.
Also Known As
Spoken fragment Conversational excerpt Dialogue piece Colloquial snippet Dialogic fragment
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