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

Drawn with feathered lines and in coded colors, the words are individual images that collectively form a chantlike piece of concrete poetry.

From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2020

The artists juxtapose images with concrete poetry to create image-text intersections that reveal privileged looking.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 11, 2019

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

Japanese writers of concrete poetry seem equally eager to experience the sequential!

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin