found poem: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1/C2 (Specialized/Low-Frequency)Formal, Academic, Literary
Quick answer
What does “found poem” mean?
A poem created by taking existing texts or fragments of texts (non-poetic sources) and rearranging them, adding or removing words to give them a poetic form and new meaning.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A poem created by taking existing texts or fragments of texts (non-poetic sources) and rearranging them, adding or removing words to give them a poetic form and new meaning.
An artistic practice in which the poet discovers and isolates language from everyday or non-literary sources, treating the source material as a 'found object' akin to visual arts. It highlights the poetic potential inherent in ordinary language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The concept is identical in both dialects, originating from 20th-century modernist and avant-garde movements in poetry.
Connotations
Connotations are the same: artistic, experimental, intertextual, postmodern.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and specialized in both varieties, confined mainly to literary, artistic, and academic discourse.
Grammar
How to Use “found poem” in a Sentence
[Poet/Writer] + found poem + [prepositional phrase: from/of source][Found poem] + based on + [source text][Verb: create/compose] + a found poem + using + [source]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “found poem” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She decided to found poem her latest piece on a Victorian cookery manual.
- He is fond of found poemming old technical journals.
American English
- She decided to found-poem her latest piece using a hardware store catalogue.
- He enjoys found-poeming old legal documents.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in literature, creative writing, and art theory courses to discuss postmodern techniques and intertextuality.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be mentioned in creative workshops or discussions about modern art.
Technical
Terminology within creative writing pedagogy and literary criticism.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “found poem”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “found poem”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “found poem”
- Using it to describe a poem one simply found in a book (i.e., discovered).
- Misspelling as 'found poem' (as in foundation) instead of 'found' (past participle of find).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on copyright. Using very old (public domain) texts is safe. For modern texts, it relates to fair use/dealing doctrines and is a complex legal area if published.
Not if it is presented as a transformative work. The artistic intent is to create something new from the old, not to pass off the original text as one's own unaltered writing. Attribution of the source is often given.
Newspaper articles, advertisements, instruction manuals, legal documents, transcripts, dictionary entries, graffiti, social media posts, and other everyday, non-literary prose.
While many modern poets use the technique, key figures include William Carlos Williams ('Between Walls'), Blaise Cendrars, and more recently, poets like Charles Reznikoff and conceptual writers such as Kenneth Goldsmith.
A poem created by taking existing texts or fragments of texts (non-poetic sources) and rearranging them, adding or removing words to give them a poetic form and new meaning.
Found poem is usually formal, academic, literary in register.
Found poem: in British English it is pronounced /ˈfaʊnd ˈpəʊɪm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈfaʊnd ˈpoʊəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To treat life as a found poem (metaphorical use meaning to find artistic meaning in everyday chaos).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a poet FINDing a newspaper article and, by circling certain words, FOUNDing (creating) a new POEM from it.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS RAW MATERIAL (to be sculpted). TEXT IS A READYMADE OBJECT (to be re-purposed).
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary source material for a found poem?