by Brett Vogelsinger When it comes to concrete poetry, students are often impressed with its combination of simplicity and cleverness. And that's the thing about concrete poems: like masterful acrobats or skateboarders or dancers, they make artful maneuvers look easy. As some people work on movement to play with gravity, the concrete poet plays with negative space, the blank page, and the shape of words in original and sometimes humorous ways. One of my favorite concrete poets is Bob Raczka and his book Wet Cement contains a poem that will ring true to students and teachers everywhere. It is called "Clock" and the picture below comes from the Kindle preview on Amazon: Why not challenge your students to create a smiple clock poem that sets the hour and minute hands at a different time: wake-up time, lunch, bedtime, game time. Or you might challenge them to change the form and still write about time: a sundial, an hourglass, a digital clock, an iPhone. This quick introduction to a sub-genre of poetry in a shape that students of all ages and artistic abilities can handle may do more than just inspire them to create a concrete poem. Poetry is about moments, and this exercise moves them to think of a poemworthy moment. Maybe the following day in class, that same moment can be crafted into a poem with line breaks and stanzas. The writer's notebook awaits! Further Reading: Brett Vogelsinger is a ninth-grade English teacher at Holicong Middle School in Bucks County, PA. He has been starting class with a poem each day for the past six years and is the creator of the Go Poems blog to share poetry reading and writing ideas with teachers around the world. Find him on Twitter @theVogelman.
What is a concrete poem? http://www.short-story-time.com/kids-concrete-poems.html You can make your own on a word document: OR, you can crea...
I am poem I just finished reading the nove Night with my students. I wish I had created this poem before we begin reading so I could share it with them. I think I will use it next year when I tea…
Concrete poetry, also known as shape poetry, is a poetic form where the poem’s shape visually matches its topic/theme. Blending art and poetry into visual treats. Take the famous example of “The…
Poetry is in the air in my 4th grade classroom! We are reading and writing poems every day for the next few weeks. I always like to start my poetry unit with something that has a low intimidation factor (and … Continue reading →
The poem is about someone who promises the most precious person in her or his life that she/ he will always be there for the person no matter what happens.
I am always surprised how much my students like poetry and even more amazed at the poetry they create during our poetry unit. We start the poetry writing process slowly with an adjective review. The students made a list of … Continue reading →
Best concrete poetry collections to share with children and teach them about this marvelous poem form and history.
Get your third graders (8 year olds) reading non fiction books for fun! Here's a list of good book recommendations and reviews.
What is a concrete poem? http://www.short-story-time.com/kids-concrete-poems.html You can make your own on a word document: OR, you can crea...
How the typewriter empowered Victorian female stenographers to invent a unique art form that gained newfound notoriety in the digital age.
I am always surprised how much my students like poetry and even more amazed at the poetry they create during our poetry unit. We start the poetry writing process slowly with an adjective review. The students made a list of … Continue reading →
A shape poem, also called a concrete poem or a calligram, describes an object and is written in the shape of that object. You can create shape poems of all shapes and sizes, using objects or subjects that inspire you. To write a shape...
by Vaclav Havel. [Ottawa], Room 3o2 Books, 2o march 2oo8. 64 numbered copies. 4-3/8 x 6-1/16, mimeo postcard with rubberstamp rear. a concrete poem by the Czech playwright & president. 5.oo
Here's what the Concrete poetry form is. Learn all about Concrete poems in plain English with examples in this in-depth article. Let's get started!
concrete poem by dom sylvester houédard
This is the actual concrete poem I made. Sorry, it looks ugly, but just enjoy! Ha-ha. By the way, a concrete poem is a patterned poetry wherein the poem is accompanied by a drawing or a picture which forms the topic of the poem (e.g. poem).
What's this? A drawing? A map?Can you guess where this photo was taken? Scroll down for the answer!(hint: along the Circle Line)(answer: Caldecott MRT Station) Can you try reading what is written?Activity 1: THINK-PAIR-SHAREWhat kind of words and phrases can you make out? Why do you think the artist chose these words?What is concrete poetry?noun [mass noun] poetry in which the meaning or effect is conveyed partly or wholly by visual means, using patterns of words or letters and other typograph
I am always surprised how much my students like poetry and even more amazed…
From The Guardian: "When I hear the words Arts Council", Ian Hamilton Finlay once wrote, "I reach for my water pistol." The body in the line of fire was the Scottish...
Dick Higgins, Two Concrete Poems: ‘snowflake: 'dark room, dark rose' (1978) / 'the fnowflakes of giordano bruno «choofing MIND to See»' (1977), «New Directions in Poetry and Prose» 38, An...
I am always surprised how much my students like poetry and even more amazed at the poetry they create during our poetry unit. We start the poetry writing process slowly with an adjective review. The students made a list of … Continue reading →
For this task, what we are doing is looking into concrete poetry, which is a typographical arrangement of words is as important in conveying the intended effect as the conventional elements of the …
Kids concrete poems are fun and easy! Draw a picture - write a poem, it's that easy!
In celebration of spring and all its possibilities and openings (and Easter and Passover), this remarkable poem-within-poem in the shape of forsythia by concrete poet Marry Ellen Solt...
