Visual poetry is a style of poetry that incorporates graphic and visual design elements to convey its meaning. This style combines visual art and written expression to create new ways of presenting and interpreting poetry.[1]
Visual poetry focuses on playing with form, which means it often takes on various art styles. These styles can range from altering the structure of the words on the page to adding other kinds of media to change the poem itself.[2]
Some forms of visual poetry may retain their narrative structure,[3] but this is not a requirement of visual poetry. Some visual poets create more abstract works that steer away from linguistic meaning and instead focus heavily on the composition of words and letters to create a visually pleasing piece.[2]
Literary theorists have identified visual poetry as a development of concrete poetry but with the characteristics of intermedia in which non-representational language and visual elements predominate.
As the literary and artistic experiments of the 1950s that were at first loosely grouped together as concrete poetry extended further into the ambiguous sphere which Dick Higgins described in 1965 as 'Intermedia',[4] it became apparent that such creations were further and further divorced from the representational language with which poetry had hitherto been associated and that they needed to be categorized as a separate phenomenon.
In her survey, Concrete Poetry: A World View (1968), Mary Ellen Solt observed that certain trends included under the label concrete poetry were tending towards a "new visual poetry". Its chief characteristic is that it leaves behind the old poetic function of orality and is therefore distinct from the ancient tradition of shaped poetry from which concrete poetry claimed to have derived. Visual poetry, on the other hand, is to be distinguished by its deployment of typography.
Solt included in her proposed new genre the work of Ian Hamilton Finlay, John Furnival and Hansjörg Mayer. Her definition was extended by Marvin A. Sackner in his introduction to the Ohio State University 2008 collection of visual poetry: "I define concrete poems as those in which only letters and/or words are utilized to form a visual image, whereas visual poems constitute those in which images are integrated into the text of the poem".[5] He also separated out artist-generated picture poems and artists' books as an allied category, citing the work of Kenneth Patchen. Also to be found in the university collection is Tom Phillips' A Humument, as well as an assortment of handwritten but non-linguistic texts.
In the light of these assertions, a new genealogy of forerunners to visual poetry emerges that includes Joan Miró's poem-painting Le corps de ma brune (1925),[6]Piet Mondrian's incorporation of Michel Seuphor's text in Textuel (1928),[7] and prints (druksels) by H.N. Werkman using elements of typography. The last also used the typewriter to create abstract patterns (which he called tiksels), using not just letters but also purely linear elements.[8] Created during the 1920s, they anticipated the intermediary 'typestracts' of the concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houédard during the 1960s[9] that would equally qualify as visual poetry.
Klaus Peter Dencker also stresses the continuity of the new genre in his theoretical paper "From Concrete to Visual Poetry" (2000), pointing out its "intermedial and interdisciplinary" nature. The two are also interdependent and "without concrete poetry the current forms of visual poetry would be unthinkable".[10] The academic Willard Bohn, however, prefers to categorize the whole gamut of literary and artistic experiment in this area since the late 19th century under the label of visual poetry and has done so in a number of books since 1986. From his reductionist point of view, "Visual poetry can be defined as poetry that is meant to be seen – poetry that presupposes a viewer as well as a reader".[11]
^Greene, Roland, ed. (2017). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press. pp. 1523–1525. doi:10.1093/acref/9780190681173.001.0001. ISBN978-0-691-15491-6.
^McAllister, Brian J. (2014). "Narrative in Concrete / Concrete in Narrative: Visual Poetry and Narrative Theory". Narrative. 22 (2): 234–251. doi:10.1353/nar.2014.0011. ISSN 1538-974X.
^Sackner, Marvin A. (2008). "Introduction". In Bennett, John M. (ed.). Visual Poetry in the Avant Writing Collection(PDF). Rare Books & Manuscripts Library, Ohio State University. p. 6.
^"Joan Miro (1893-1983): Painting-Poem ('le corps de ma brune puisque je l'aime comme ma chatte habillée en vert salade comme de la grêle c'est pareil')". PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTION. Christie's.
^"Piet Mondrian: Textual (Textuel): 1928". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved Jan 26, 2024.
Dencker, Klaus Peter (2000). "From Concrete to Visual Poetry, with a Glance into the Electronic Future". Light and Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry. Kaldron On-Line.
Higgins, Dick (1965–1981). Synesthesia and Intersenses: Intermedia". Also published as a chapter in Higgins, Dick (1984). Horizons, the Poetics and Theory of the Intermedia. Southern Illinois University.
Solt, Mary Ellen (1968). Concrete Poetry: A World View. Indiana University.
External linksedit
UbuWeb, which hosts a large amount of concrete poetry
The Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry
thing.net
January 01, 1970
visual, poetry, style, poetry, that, incorporates, graphic, visual, design, elements, convey, meaning, this, style, combines, visual, written, expression, create, ways, presenting, interpreting, poetry, focuses, playing, with, form, which, means, often, takes,. Visual poetry is a style of poetry that incorporates graphic and visual design elements to convey its meaning This style combines visual art and written expression to create new ways of presenting and interpreting poetry 1 Visual poetry focuses on playing with form which means it often takes on various art styles These styles can range from altering the structure of the words on the page to adding other kinds of media to change the poem itself 2 Some forms of visual poetry may retain their narrative structure 3 but this is not a requirement of visual poetry Some visual poets create more abstract works that steer away from linguistic meaning and instead focus heavily on the composition of words and letters to create a visually pleasing piece 2 Contents 1 Differentiation from concrete poetry 2 See also 3 References 4 Bibliography 5 External linksDifferentiation from concrete poetry editLiterary theorists have identified visual poetry as a development of concrete poetry but with the characteristics of intermedia in which non representational language and visual elements predominate As the literary and artistic experiments of the 1950s that were at first loosely grouped together as concrete poetry extended further into the ambiguous sphere which Dick Higgins described in 1965 as Intermedia 4 it became apparent that such creations were further and further divorced from the representational language with which poetry had hitherto been associated and that they needed to be categorized as a separate phenomenon In her survey Concrete Poetry A World View 1968 Mary Ellen Solt observed that certain trends included under the label concrete poetry were tending towards a new visual poetry Its chief characteristic is that it leaves behind the old poetic function of orality and is therefore distinct from the ancient tradition of shaped poetry from which concrete poetry claimed to have derived Visual poetry on the other hand is to be distinguished by its deployment of typography Solt included in her proposed new genre the work of Ian Hamilton Finlay John Furnival and Hansjorg Mayer Her definition was extended by Marvin A Sackner in his introduction to the Ohio State University 2008 collection of visual poetry I define concrete poems as those in which only letters and or words are utilized to form a visual image whereas visual poems constitute those in which images are integrated into the text of the poem 5 He also separated out artist generated picture poems and artists books as an allied category citing the work of Kenneth Patchen Also to be found in the university collection is Tom Phillips A Humument as well as an assortment of handwritten but non linguistic texts In the light of these assertions a new genealogy of forerunners to visual poetry emerges that includes Joan Miro s poem painting Le corps de ma brune 1925 6 Piet Mondrian s incorporation of Michel Seuphor s text in Textuel 1928 7 and prints druksels by H N Werkman using elements of typography The last also used the typewriter to create abstract patterns which he called tiksels using not just letters but also purely linear elements 8 Created during the 1920s they anticipated the intermediary typestracts of the concrete poet Dom Sylvester Houedard during the 1960s 9 that would equally qualify as visual poetry Klaus Peter Dencker also stresses the continuity of the new genre in his theoretical paper From Concrete to Visual Poetry 2000 pointing out its intermedial and interdisciplinary nature The two are also interdependent and without concrete poetry the current forms of visual poetry would be unthinkable 10 The academic Willard Bohn however prefers to categorize the whole gamut of literary and artistic experiment in this area since the late 19th century under the label of visual poetry and has done so in a number of books since 1986 From his reductionist point of view Visual poetry can be defined as poetry that is meant to be seen poetry that presupposes a viewer as well as a reader 11 See also editAsemic writing Calligram Digital poetry Haptic poetry List of concrete and visual poets Something Else Press Video poetry Concrete poetryReferences edit Greene Roland ed 2017 The Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics Vol 1 Princeton University Press pp 1523 1525 doi 10 1093 acref 9780190681173 001 0001 ISBN 978 0 691 15491 6 a b Foundation Poetry 2023 12 13 Visual Poetry Today by Geof Huth Poetry Magazine Retrieved 2023 12 13 McAllister Brian J 2014 Narrative in Concrete Concrete in Narrative Visual Poetry and Narrative Theory Narrative 22 2 234 251 doi 10 1353 nar 2014 0011 ISSN 1538 974X Higgins 1965 Sackner Marvin A 2008 Introduction In Bennett John M ed Visual Poetry in the Avant Writing Collection PDF Rare Books amp Manuscripts Library Ohio State University p 6 Joan Miro 1893 1983 Painting Poem le corps de ma brune puisque je l aime comme ma chatte habillee en vert salade comme de la grele c est pareil PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE NEW YORK COLLECTION Christie s Piet Mondrian Textual Textuel 1928 Museum of Modern Art Retrieved Jan 26 2024 Werkman Hendrik Nicolaas Werken gt tiksels Groninger Museum Werkman Archief Archived from the original on Apr 28 2019 Lovelock Yann 1984 The Line Forward A Survey of Modern Dutch Poetry in English Translation Amsterdam Riverrun Press p 37 ISBN 9789070306090 Dencker 2000 Bohn 2001 p 15Bibliography editBohn Willard 1986 The Aesthetics of Visual Poetry 1914 1928 University of Chicago Press Bohn Willard 2001 Modern Visual Poetry Associated University Presses Bohn Willard 2010 Reading Visual Poetry Fairleigh Dickinson University Dencker Klaus Peter 2000 From Concrete to Visual Poetry with a Glance into the Electronic Future Light and Dust Mobile Anthology of Poetry Kaldron On Line Higgins Dick 1965 1981 Synesthesia and Intersenses Intermedia Also published as a chapter in Higgins Dick 1984 Horizons the Poetics and Theory of the Intermedia Southern Illinois University Hill Crag Vassilakis Nico eds 2012 The Last Vispo Anthology Visual Poetry 1998 2008 Fantagraphics ISBN 978 1 60699 626 3 Solt Mary Ellen 1968 Concrete Poetry A World View Indiana University External links editUbuWeb which hosts a large amount of concrete poetry The Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry thing net Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Visual poetry amp oldid 1199339279, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
