concrete poetry: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, Academic, Artistic
Quick answer
What does “concrete poetry” mean?
Poetry in which the visual arrangement of text, typography, and graphics is crucial to its overall effect and meaning.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Poetry in which the visual arrangement of text, typography, and graphics is crucial to its overall effect and meaning.
An avant-garde movement, prominent in the 1950s and 60s, that treats words, letters, and typography as visual and material objects. It de-emphasizes or discards linear syntax and traditional verse forms, focusing instead on spatial patterns, shapes, and the physical presence of language on the page.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or definitional differences. The movement had international practitioners, and the term is used identically.
Connotations
Associated with mid-20th-century experimental art and literary movements in both regions.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, confined to literary, artistic, and academic discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “concrete poetry” in a Sentence
[Author] + writes/creates + concrete poetryThis + is/represents + a classic example of concrete poetryThe exhibition + features + concrete poetry + from the 1960sVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “concrete poetry” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The concrete-poetry movement was groundbreaking.
- She has a concrete-poetry collection.
American English
- The concrete poetry movement was groundbreaking.
- She has a concrete poetry collection.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literary criticism, art history, and semiotics courses to discuss 20th-century experimental art forms.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would only be used by those with a specific interest in poetry or art.
Technical
Used as a precise term within literary and art theory to denote a specific genre with defined characteristics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “concrete poetry”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “concrete poetry”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “concrete poetry”
- Using it to describe any poem with a visual element (e.g., a simple shape).
- Pronouncing 'concrete' as if referring to the building material only; the primary stress remains on the first syllable.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. While all concrete poetry is concerned with shape, it is a more radical, mid-20th-century movement that treats letters and words as visual objects. A simple shape poem for children is often not considered 'concrete poetry' in the technical sense.
Often, it cannot, or its performance loses the essential visual component. The meaning is created by seeing the words on the page, not just hearing them.
Key figures include Eugen Gomringer (often called the father of concrete poetry), Augusto de Campos and Haroldo de Campos (Brazilian Noigandres group), and Ian Hamilton Finlay.
Yes, its influence is seen in digital poetry, typographic art, and conceptual writing, though the peak of the movement was in the 1950s-70s.
Poetry in which the visual arrangement of text, typography, and graphics is crucial to its overall effect and meaning.
Concrete poetry is usually formal, academic, artistic in register.
Concrete poetry: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒŋkriːt ˈpəʊɪtri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːnkriːt ˈpoʊətri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a poem shaped like a CONCRETE block – the words themselves form the physical, visible structure of the meaning.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT / POETRY IS A VISUAL CONSTRUCTION
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary focus of concrete poetry?