1. Notes on
Poetry Form:
‘Found’ Poetry

2. Found Poetry
“Found” poetry is a type of poetry that takes existing texts and reforms, reshapes, rearranges, and reimagines them as poems.
It is a literary equivalent of “collage”; you are making or creating a poem using random words from a “found” text.

3. Found Poetry: Cento
A cento is a poetic form that originated in the 3rd or 4th century; “cento” is Latin for “patchwork”
The cento is made up of lines from the texts or writings of other authors.
These lines are reshaped and rearranged by the poet into a new poetic form.

4. Cento This poem was created with words & phrases from an article in
Example:
“Lines Found in National Geographic”
Marauding killers these sea stars
black kelp forest grows. Opalescent
breaks of aggression, equal
opportunity mating, dance
of fertilization. A soft body
has its disadvantages, tiny spires
-- basket stars -- ferns of the sea --
capturing plankton.
A big ball of spires these extreme
sea urchins -- sunflower style --
fifteen thousand tubed feet.
Persistence erects a defense, line of long
stalks -- singing jaws -- stinging claws -- embedded
in flesh. Everybody has some trick of discovery.
This poem was created with words & phrases from an article in
National Geographic magazine

5. Other Found Poetry This poem was created from the text of a
press conference given by a
former U.S. Secretary of Defense
Example #1:
“The Unknown”
As we know, There are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know There are known unknowns. That is to say We know there are some things We do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, The ones we don't know We don't know.

6. Other Found Poetry This poem was created from the 1st lines of the
Example #2:
“Pop Song Cento”
June 25, It's so hard to sleep. I'm like, "Hey, what's up? Hello." And I know she'll be the death of me, at least we'll both be numb, Like a small boat on the ocean. Be my woman girl, and I'll be your man. Do you recall, not long ago– Oh don't you dare look back. 'Cause baby now we got bad blood, When I need motivation. It's been a long day without you, my friend
This poem was created from the 1st lines of the
Top Ten Billboard Pop Songs for the week of June 25, 2015

7. This poem was created from a newspaper advertisement
Other Found Poetry
Example #3:
“65th High School Year”
Graduate
within a year. You can
do it! Teenagers,
adults too for free information.
Day Program starts --
Night Program starts --
it’s never too late
founded in 65th year.
Call now. You can
do it!
This poem was created from a newspaper advertisement
Morning
afternoon classes
evening classes starts within a year.
Call now for High
School.
(16 years
or over) preparatory
founded in cosmopolitan
1934.

8. Other Found Poetry This poem was created from a
Reckless Records online catalog description of the album King of Limbs by Radiohead
Example #4:
“King of Limbs”
Another atmospheric shift, but song
restless, we must insist.
Pinning the envelope, pushing
the stylistic dividends.
Handsome details, repeated
listens – complex attention.
The eccentric section structures
“pop music,” the exciting
bass keyboard, guitar lines
so soon, so recommended.
We love the usual, payoff
the lots of quite melodic.

9. to create a “found” poem?
Other Found Poetry
What other kinds of
text could be used
to create a “found” poem?

10. from a text of your choosing
Your Assignment
Your assignment is to write …
a cento/“found” poem
from a text of your choosing
Minimum of 15 total lines
Any line length or stanza organization you want
No limit to subject/topic. Or it can have no subject at all.
Do NOT use all words in text. Do NOT ADD any words not in the original text.
You MUST turn in your finished poem and a copy of the original text.