Annotations for Performance: Timbre

A short line disrupts the poem's flow, drawing attention to itself. Additionally, Hammad says this line with an American-style tone reminiscent of Black-centered rap and hip-hop practices; this reveals a geographical and cultural context which influences her poem's sound.

This line happens slower as if to underline itself. The word "lifeless" is separately stressed by the syllable. Furthermore, the line breaks from Hammad's expressive style with a robotic tone, possibly showing non-expressive poetry as dead and conformist.

There are sharp breaths between "pop", "spin", and "break", which makes the actions of war sound exhaustive. Moreover, this phrase is reminiscent of Black rooted hip-hop.

Hammad takes sharp breaths in this line.

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's voice carries the sound of modern American speech again through slang, linked back to rap and Black culture in its roots.

Hammad says "understand" like understan, dropping the last d. Again, this hints at the culture she grew up around with the accent she has.