Concrete Poetry - A unique form of written art
Concrete poetry is a very unique form of writing that is much more than words and verse. The visual presentation of these poems create a large part of the poem’s meaning. In fact, the most important element in the various kinds of concrete poetry is that the concentration should be on the physical form which the text or poem is made. When you look at most of these poems you will see a picture that relates to the words that are written.
Concrete poetry was developed in the 1950’s by poets in Switzerland, Sweden, and Brazil. In such poems, the arrangement of words and phrases on the page indicates the poem’s meaning. Poets who brought this form of poems to life include George Herbert, Lewis Carrol (pen name of Charles L. Dodgson), Ezra Pound, Guillaume Apollinaire, and Stephane Mallarmé.
Many writers and critics apply the phrase “concrete poetry” only to a much narrower range of works. In these poems, words function as suggestive visual markers, not as components of conventional sentences.
Although this form of art was officially developed in the 1950s, there are examples of concrete poetry before that time. An early and well known example is “Easter Wings” by George Herbert, which was written in the early 1600s. The poem speaks of Christ and the formation of the lines look like wings. Some examples are simple, consisting of only a few words, but the picture it portrays is the impact point of the work, not the words. A poem could be written in the shape of a circle and could be read from different starting points or in opposite directions.
So how should you begin writing concrete poetry and how do you know if what you’ve written is concrete poetry? Following are some things to consider while you are writing.
Is the visual image that is formed by the text identifiable?
Does the visual image match the poem?
Does the visual image you are creating add to the enjoyment of the poem?
Is the poem good enough to stand alone, without the visual image?
Is the arrangement of the text important to the visual image?
Will the arrangement of the lines allow for different ways of reading the poem?
For more information and instruction on how to write concrete poetry, research online for tips, examples, and advice on how to create this unique combination of writing and art.