Annotations for Performance: Tempo

Hammad pauses after the word "dance", immediately disrupting conventional poetry expectations; this effect makes the poem formless and a piece of protest poetry.

Hammad lowers her pitch on "was" but heightens it on "alive," bringing a contrasting lightness to the second word. There are pauses between "once," "hunted," "stolen," and "stretched"; this slows the tempo down to highlight the verbs of the poem.

Factual and definite in tone through Hammad's return to a lower pitch at the end of her line. The word "kill" is stretched. The shortness seems like another disruption from the flow of this poem, as seen prior with "I know that beat" in the fourth line.

Hammad quickens the pace, expressing a sense of urgency.

This line is spoken slowly to underline itself, leaving space before and after. Using disruption again, Hammad creates a sign of originality from the beat of war conformists. Moreover, Hammad says it factually with a low pitch at the end.

This line happens quickly and sounds staccato. Hammad disrupts the flow, once more, for a moment of declaration and protestation.

Hammad says this slowly, again using a short line to cut into the poem. An amplitude emphasis happens on "I," "not," and "played," sounding conclusive and absolute. Moreover, with each of these words, the pitch gets lower and lower, giving a sense of seriousness. This line also carries Hammad's American tone and slang, again showing her perspective on war conformity as an American through sound.

Hammad quickens the tempo. The sound of her words gives a shortly lived rhythm through the higher-pitched "dance" to the lower-pitched "persist" and again with "dance" to "resist," creating a new tempo.

This line is immediately slower than the last, breaking Hammad's flow and bringing attention to her words. Additionally, each word lowers in pitch.

Hammad pauses after "drum", "ain't louder", "than this" and "breath". Her pitch lowers and her amplitude quietens with each word, drawing in the listener; however, the word "breath" sustains the pitch, breaking the pattern. Moreover, the word "ain't" brings back an American influenced sound experience.