How to Write Concrete Poetry
Concrete poetry refers to the creation of poems in which the text forms an image that helps convey the message. Also known as a "shape poem," concrete poetry must always be presented in its specific fixed form, lines or geometric shape.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Draw shapes and lines on paper. Include curves, waves, parallel and intersecting lines, circles and other geometric shapes. Choose one of the drawings.
-
2
Study the shape and brainstorm a list of words that come to mind. Think about the shape itself and also what visual images comes to mind. Choose descriptive words that support the image.
-
-
3
Choose an object or an animal and draw the outline of it on a piece of paper. Make a list of words that describe the object or animal. Create a poem using the words. Arrange the finished poem around the outline.
-
4
Play with the words and the shape. Create a poem that partners with the shape to support the significance of both. Make a poem in a circle that can be read from different starting points.
-
5
Review the finished poem and gauge how identifiable the image is and how it relates to the words of the poem. Make sure the poem can stand on its own without a visual image.
-
6
Create poems that can be read in more than one way. Consider a V-shape that can may be read down one side and up the other, and then reversed for a new meaning.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Review the various types of concrete poetry online. Explore the ways in which word processing can be used to create shape poems. (See Resources below.)
