concrete poetry

American  

noun

1. poetry in which effects are created by the physical arrangement of words in patterns or forms rather than by the use of traditional language structure.

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concrete poetry British  

noun

1. poetry in which the visual form of the poem is used to convey meaning

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Etymology

Origin of concrete poetry

1955–60, probably as translation of Portuguese poesia concreta or German konkrete Dichtung

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

concrete poetry

In the 1970s, Melchert’s work began to move in a more conceptual direction, influenced by concrete poetry and the work of composer John Cage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2023

Attempting to describe the range of topics of discussion within a single file using subject headings leads to complex chunks of text that read like concrete poetry.

From The Guardian ● Mar. 23, 2017

In a way I’m making concrete poetry, but my field is 2½ to 3 inches — that’s all the space I got.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 27, 2017

The German artist Ferdinand Kriwet is represented by three vertical banners from 1970, with bright letters that function as concrete poetry.

From New York Times ● Jul. 16, 2015

Other visual sign systems transcend the limits of literacy: concrete poetry, happening, animation, performance games that lead to interactive video, hypermedia or interactive multimedia, virtual reality, and global networks.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai