Let's take a look at Computer Poetry and Concrete Poetry.
Computer Poetry's inception was in the 1950s. A calculator, a typewriter, a data processor all manipulate symbols. In the instances to create poetry, usually, Always, the semantic rules of language are violated.
As one example; to acheive a computer poem, use this formula:
sentence = noun + verb + adverb
Choosing five words for each category, the programmer (poet) can put a number of words together, forming a number of different so called sentences if he chose one word from each group. That would be the poem.
Unfortunately, the logical connection is obscure, leaving the reader to invent the relationships to bring the poetry out from blatant chaos.
No important computer poems have been produced, though it may have inspired the spawning of other forms of poetry.
One such limb that has branched off the computer poetry examples is Concerte Poetry.
Many names are given to the Concrete family:
Type Poems Typewriter Poems Object Poems Shaped Poems
Pattern Poems
Concrete poetry is a realm all its own. Try to read the inscription aloud, without describing the format (the type style, graphic arrangement, etc.).
The following is from e.e. cummings, 73 Poems, 1963
28
as joe gould says in
his terrifyingly hu
man
man
ner the only reason every wo
man
should
go to college is so
that she never can(kno
wledge is po
wer)say o
if i
'd
OH
n
lygawntueco
llege
A poem will hold up its heart to an oral reading; whereas, a Concrete poem will not. It's multiple voices (graphic layout, lack of punctuation, etc.) do not lend themselves to recitation as such.
The spatial, musical, abstract conceptual patterning with linguistic elements - they are the precursors to the Concrete Poetic Movement and they need to be read, to one's self.
Reading cummings, as well as Apollinaire will lay the groundwork for the Concrete Poetry of the latter part of the 20th Century.
Link for Concrete Poetry online:
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