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Whitespace

Notation
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

The unmarked space around and between text elements, critical to poetic visual design.

Detailed Definition
Whitespace is an active compositional element in poetry, governing pacing, emphasis, and visual balance; in concrete and minimalist poetry, it becomes as meaningful as text, shaping silence, absence, and spatial metaphor.
Example
Example in poetry:
Whitespace creates pauses in visual poetry; In concrete poetry, whitespace shapes meaning; Some poets use extra whitespace for breath; In minimalist verse, whitespace is silence; In digital poetry, whitespace controls layout; In Oulipo works, whitespace follows constraints.
Additional Notes
Whitespace: Whitespace refers to any blank area in a poem, including margins, indents, and line spacing; in visual and concrete poetry, it’s an active compositional element that shapes meaning and breath—study its role in minimalist or postmodern aesthetics.
Also Known As
blank space negative space
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