The Intonational Phonology of Spoken Word Poetry
Crum, Abigail H.
Most linguistic research on intonational phonology and poetry has been focused on traditional
poetic intonation (Byers 1980, Barney 1999). This thesis expands this area of study to include
the sub-genre of spoken word poetry. Spoken word is a performative oral art form that encourages
imaginative use of language and intonation. A trend called "poet voice" has developed
out of this genre. There is a relatively small amount of research which is focused on rhetoric
in spoken word (Stoudamire). Using the approaches of Byers (1980), and Barney (1999) on
predicting how poetry will sound, I describe unique intonational features in one spoken word
poem by Harry Baker (2014). I highlight the drawbacks and benefits of the prediction method
as it pertains to transcription and pitch. I also offer insight about how the linguistic study of
spoken word poetry can develop in the future.
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