Analysing Sign Language Poetry

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvi

   PDF

2. Some General Points about Sign Languages

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 1-12

3. What is Sign Language Poetry?

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 13-24

4. Repetition in Sign Language Poetry

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 25-54

5. Symmetry and Balance

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 55-68

6. Neologisms

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 69-86

7. Ambiguity

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 87-100

8. Themes in Sign Poetry

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 101-115

9. Metaphor and Allusion

   • Rachel Sutton-Spence

   Pages 116-127

10. The Poem and Performance

    • Rachel Sutton-Spence

    Pages 128-147

11. Blended Sign Language and Spoken Language Poetry

    • Rachel Sutton-Spence

    Pages 148-167

12. The Hang Glider

    • Rachel Sutton-Spence

    Pages 168-182

13. Trio

    • Rachel Sutton-Spence

    Pages 183-198

14. Five Senses and Three Queens

    • Rachel Sutton-Spence

    Pages 199-224

15. Afterword: ‘Here are my Wings’ — Situating Dorothy Miles, Deaf Culture and Sign Poetry

    • Paddy Ladd

    Pages 225-239

16. Back Matter

    Pages 240-265

    PDF

This new study is a major contribution to sign language study and to literature generally, looking at the complex grammatical, phonological and morphological systems of sign language linguistic structure and their role in sign language poetry and performance. Chapters deal with repetition and rhyme, symmetry and balance, neologisms, ambiguity, themes, metaphor and allusion, poem and performance, and blending English and sign language poetry. Major poetic performances in both BSL and ASL - with emphasis on the work of the deaf poet Dorothy Miles - are analysed using the tools provided in the book.

• poem
• poet
• poetry

RACHEL SUTTON-SPENCE is Senior Lecturer in Deaf Studies at the University of Bristol, UK. She researches and teaches on sign language linguistics and the social context of sign languages as well as on sign language poetry. She is the co-author (with Bencie Woll) of The Linguistics of British Sign Language, which won the British Association of Applied Linguistics award and the Deaf Nation Award in 1999.

PADDY LADD is Senior Lecturer in Deaf Studies at the University of Bristol, UK.

GILLIAN RUDD is a Senior Lecturer in the School of English at Liverpool University, UK.

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