Kady Oliker

Kady Oliker   

Graphic Poem Introduction

The poem I chose to write was inspired by Un Semon De Bonte.  I used about four images from the water section, and did the 30 second quick writes that we had originally done in class.  I wanted to evoke an emotion of darkness and mystery with the words that I chose.  Concrete and graphic poetry is all about creating a new genre of art.  Without the words, they would be just pictures and visa versa.  As R.P. Draper said, “…three-dimensional versions suggest that there are very interesting possibilities for development of concrete poetry by poets willing and able to learn from sculpture as well as from drawing and painting.”  I believe this quotation is key in understanding what concrete poetry really is: a compilation of a bunch of different genres and inspirations.

            I think that concrete poetry is a very special form of art.  Some would argue that you can split up the art and the words and still be able to portray the same message across to the reader.  As Victoria Pineda said and believed, “In concrete poetry, instead, different elements are taken from different systems and incorporated into new experience.”  Throughout here entire article, she agues that the reader just has to let go and accept this new art form.  We have so many preconceptions of what is thought to be the ‘right’ way to study a painting or read a poem, that if we try to do that here, we may not make any sense of what is being said. 

            I chose to do my poem in the shape of a mermaid because that is what I wanted the reader to think of as they read my poem.  Without the drawing, my poem can be interoperated in 100 different ways.  Some could think it’s about the ocean, or even just a morbid poem about naked women.  By adding the picture, I am able to manipulate what they think about when reading my poem.  I think having pictures along with the words really helps the reader out because some concrete poetry is so out there, that the words alone would make absolutely no sense.  I think the most fascinating thing about the graphic poem is that it can be read in many different ways.  Just like mine, the reader can start wherever they please and sort of go in any direction and get a new meaning each time.