1. A method comprising: receiving a word lattice generated by an automatic speech recognizer processing a query, wherein the word lattice is weighted according to the query; identifying a policy which allows use of a user emotional state in responding to a user who produced the query; performing, via a processor of the automatic speech recognizer, a prosodic analysis of the query, wherein the prosodic analysis identifies an audible gesture in the query and a rhythm of words spoken in the query; identifying, according to the prosodic analysis, the user emotional state; reweighting, via the processor, the word lattice according to the prosodic analysis, the user emotional state and one of a time of day, a time of year, and a behavioral history of the user, to yield a reweighted word lattice; determining, via the processor and according to the reweighted word lattice, a response to the query, the response addressing the audible gesture; and presenting to the user the response to the query.