Concrete poetry
Linguistic Boundaries
Traditional Poetic Forms
Cultural Boundaries
Genre Boundaries
Visual Language
minimizes the importance of traditional linguistic meaning, using the visual presentation of text to communicate.
more universally understood
Repetitive Forms
focus on visual impact rather than syntactic complexity
concrete poets often use minimal language or repetitive words, reducing the dependency on complex grammar or vocabulary. This simplicity allows their work to transcend linguistic barriers and reach broader audiences.
Poetry as Visual Art
Visual form
Noigandres Group
Breaking with Tradition
Regional / Geographical linguistic variation
boundaries
It shows the different names used in Scottish dialects for chaffinch, varying from chaffinch in the north over shielyfaw in the middle to britchie in the south
Chaffinch Map of Scotland - Big Think
Technology boundaries
Using Microsoft Word to Write Concrete Poetry
Arabic Islamic boundaries
The Noigandres group was instrumental in bringing concrete poetry to the global stage. Their innovative approach influenced poets and artists in Europe, North America, and beyond.
By combining visual arts and poetry, their work transcended language barriers, making it accessible to readers regardless of their linguistic background.
“ Inside job”
Kinetic boundaries
Concrete poetry rejects conventional forms such as the sonnet or the villanelle. Instead, it focuses on creating meaning through spatial and typographic arrangement rather than rhyme, meter, or traditional structure.
A new siute of concrete poems created with letraset and photocopy manipulation.
The poem is no longer fixed, but it moved
Sound poetry
this type of poetry is formatting the work on a this type of poetry is formatting the work on a computer computer
Islamic custom does not forbid representational art, but drawings of humans and animals have been discouraged.
Arabic calligraphy manages to transcend that restriction by creating images from letters, often working scripture or poetry into the design. The drawing above uses a well-known poem, "Lion" by Al-Mutanabbi: "If you see the lion bare / show its teeth, do not assume the lion is smiling at you."
Artistic composition
Words in concrete poems are often arranged to form a picture or shape, turning the poem into a visual object. This means the poem is not merely read; it is also viewed, much like a piece of visual art.
Interaction with typography and graphic design
Typography as a Tool:
Concrete poets experiment with different fonts, sizes, and orientations of letters, treating typography as an artistic tool. By using bold, italic, or oversized letters, they enhance the emotional or conceptual impact of the poem.
Influence of Graphic Design:
Concrete poetry’s emphasis on layout and visual impact draws from the field of graphic design. Poets arrange words in ways that resemble posters or advertising graphics, moving the poem beyond the confines of a page into the realm of visual culture.
Absence of linear Narrative:
Traditional poetry often follows a linear, sentence-like structure. Concrete poetry disrupts this flow by arranging words non-linearly, forcing readers to interact with the poem visually, which sometimes leads to multiple interpretations of its form and meaning.
Rejection of Rhyme and Meter:
Concrete poetry departs from traditional forms like the sonnet or villanelle, which rely on a specific rhyme scheme or metrical structure. Instead, it uses spatial arrangement to create rhythm and flow.
Augusto's poem LUXO/LIXO is a renowned example of concrete poetry, playing on the visual resemblance between the words "luxury" and "garbage" in Portuguese, which critiques materialism in modern culture.