Abstract Sound poetry
An abstract poem is a form of poetry that emphasizes the sound, rhythm, and texture of words over their literal meaning. Coined by Edith Sitwell, this style of poetry values the aural quality of language, often using abstract imagery, metaphors, and symbolism to evoke emotions rather than tell a coherent story or convey a clear message. The focus lies in how the arrangement of sounds and the musicality of the words create an emotional or sensory experience for the reader or listener. Abstract poems are designed to be felt, heard, and experienced, with the meaning often left open to interpretation.

Here is a short segment from the poem:

During a Hurricane
Wild Whirl—whirr, hums-low, Swoosh!
Wisp-clap, thrum-whirl, Shutter—shake,
Thrum! Whirl-whoosh, Wail! Flutter-fright—
Woosh… Tattered. Whisper…Swirling, Hiss…
Crackle—snap branches bend, bow—
Crack! Torn trees/crash!
Hiss-thrum, thud… Flutter—shwiss…
Gust-rush, rushing-howling—Rhumble!
Chant distant thrum… Whirr! Shrumble-hush…Night.
——…Snarl-clap, Hush-boom! Thud. Earth succumbs, Slosh…Boom! Storm drums hum. Hiss-crash, rumble-swoosh—Murmur—surge increase/Clatter! Tempest’s loom. Wail! Clatter-roar, wild gale—whistle through cracking graves. Crash! Hiss—rain—

An abstract sound poem prioritizes the aural quality of language, using onomatopoeia, rhythm, and alliteration to create an immersive sensory experience rather than conveying a structured narrative. The words and fragmented phrases mimic the chaotic, swirling sounds of a storm, engaging the reader’s ears as much as their imagination with erratic line breaks, dashes, and slashes that enhance the turbulence, making the poem feel almost like a composition of storm-sounds rather than conventional verse, focusing on the music and texture of words rather than direct meaning.