CENTO

A Cento is also known as a "patchwork" or a "found" poem. It is made entirely from lines by other poets. While Centos are usually comic in nature, it's not a hard and fast rule. The lines you choose must stay EXACTLY as they are written with no alterations. All the poems used may be from the same poet or you can use any variety you wish.

Look at an index of first lines - this is often a great source to use for writing a Cento. You may also repeat a line if you wish, as repetition is sometimes an effective tool in poetry writing.

It is customary for a source list to be attached at the end of your Cento, listing the poem and poet used for each line, it should be in the same order as in your poem.

A Cento is 100 lines in length, but many sometimes write a Quarter-Cento (25 lines) or a Semi- Cento (50 lines).