Abstract
The fundamental frequency (f0) is considered a salient feature in the acoustic structure of the speech signal. The objective of our study was to investigate the f0 characteristics of speakers when reciting poetry.
We recorded 24 speakers, who prepared and read out two poems by the same author but of a different character both in form and in content. The central research question was whether we could find any stable characteristics of the speakers that would be present in both texts.
A complementary question of equal importance concerns the identification of features that consistently differ in the two texts. We wanted to know to what extent the differences in the structure and mood of the two poems alter the f0 parameters produced by individual speakers.
Sixteen analyses were carried out, of which seven can be considered standard, while nine are less commonly used and, therefore, worth exploring. The results suggest that various methods of inquiry have their merits, and a combination of approaches is commendable.
The best performing variables in our sample were the f0 baseline, the declination trendline and the proportion of continuation melodemes used by a speaker. These three characteristics are presented in a 3D display.