Poetry is FUN Poetic Forms

Concrete Poem This form of poetry has been around since the 1500s. It was originally called “Pattern Poetry” or “Shape Poetry.” The term “Concrete Poem” was coined in the 1950s. Present an idea graphically by using the letters and/or words to create a picture

Form If you remove the form of the poem, you weaken the poem. In some (though not all) Concrete Poems, the form contains so much significant meaning of the poem that, if you remove the form of the poem, you destroy the poem. The arrangement of letters and words creates an image that offers the meaning visually. The white space of the page can be a significant part of the poem. The physical arrangement in a Concrete Poem can provide a cohesion that the actual words lack. This allows a poem to ignore standard syntax, and logical sequencing.

"Damning Dams," by Court Smith, THE ELOQUENT UMBRELLA, 1995, p. 59.

"Scales, A Judgement," by Court Smith, NORTHWEST MAGAZINE, June 11, 1978, p. 15.

"Dove's Song," by Court Smith, ANTHROPOLOGY AND HUMANISM QUARTERLY, 13(2)[1988]:62. Reprinted in the ELOQUENT UMBRELLA, 1996, p. 27. "Dove's Song," by Court Smith

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE BLUESTREAKSPRIDE COURAGEANDPASSION COURAGEANDPASSION BLUESTREAKSPRIDE BLUESTREAKSPRIDE BLUESTREAKSPRIDE BLUESTREAKSPRIDE BLUESTREAKSPRIDE COURAGEANDPASSION COURAGEANDPASSION COURAGEANDPASSION COURAGEANDPASSION BLUESTREAKSPRIDE By Lourdes Bustamante FRIENDSHIP FRIENDSHIP LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE

Breezes," by Court Smith, THE WINDLESS ORCHARD, 31, p Breezes," by Court Smith, THE WINDLESS ORCHARD, 31, p. 12, reprinted in the ELOQUENT UMBRELLA 1995, p. 68. Breezes," by Court Smith

"Shaped Salmon," by Court Smith, ANTHROPOLOGY AND HUMANISM QUARTERLY 14(2)[1989]:74. Reprinted in the ELOQUENT UMBRELLA, 1992, p. 33. Published in RIVER SONG, 1999 "Shaped Salmon," by Court Smith

I < ’ ) ) ) > < ing. My thanks to Billy Eckles of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for this excellent example of concrete poetry. By Billy Eckles

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Example

Example “Acrobats” by: Ian Hamilton Finlay

Example

CONCRETE POEM by Berkley S (2007)

CONCRETE by william f (2007) W G IN F T L H IG F S EA ER TH poo Ocean Ocean W V W V W V W V W V A E A E A E A E A E

Concrete by Jessica S (2007)

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Concrete Poem- The Bridge by Thomas H (2007) Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable Cable TierTierTierTierTierTier TierTierTierTierTierTier RoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoadRoad Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves Waves

YOUR TURN Create your own concrete poem and add it to your power point poetry portfolio