They are written to a precise syllabic count. It begins with a line of nine syllables and then moves....
CREATIVE WRITING
Syllabic wings and diamonds
They are written to a precise syllabic count. It begins with a line of nine syllables and then moves progressively down to the middle line of one syllable and then moves back to nine, structurally the poem could be described as being a shape poem (in the form of wings) with a basic syllabic count of 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9; and with a basic syllabic count of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1, it becomes a diamond.
Concrete poetry
With roots in the ancient Greek pattern poems and the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century emblem poems, contemporary concrete poetry uses words – and, sometimes, different fonts and type sizes – to shape a picture on the page.
The form of a concrete poem is not something that emerges from the poem’s words and images, but something predetermined by the visual image the poet has decided to create.
Acrostic poems
Acrostic poems have to been seen to be understood. The most common kind of acrostic is a poem in which the opening letter of each line makes a word or pattern which has to be read downwards to be understood.
The intent of the acrostic is to reveal while attempting to conceal within the poem.
The most famous example of a complex acrostic is the Roman word square which was found at Cirencester. Its English translation: the sower, Arepo, holds the wheels carefully.
Kinetic poetry
Kinetic poetry makes letters or words or sentences move in exciting patterns on the page. It sees language and makes it visually exciting.
The earliest written language was made up of pictograms – small pictures of objects. Thus, the Egyptian n and the Hebrew m (looking like waves) were both signs for water. The kinetic poet and artist often work in the same spirit, shaping words on the page to illustrate dramatically their meanings and qualities.
Contemporary visual poetry
Collage, mix tape and rubber-stamped poetry are some of the most popular and flexible ways of creating decorative poetry (not many are able to make sense of it, but they look pretty).
Scott Helmes’ “haiku #62” is a series of striking poems created from scraps of coloured text torn out of glossy magazines and arrayed in three tiers.
These tiers approximate the look of haiku, and the text flutters in and out of different colours and typefaces, giving the poems their beauty.
Compiled by S.G
