Calligram

A calligram is a poem, phrase, or word in which the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting is arranged in a way that creates a visual image. The image created by the words expresses visually what the word, or words, say. In a poem, it manifests visually the theme presented by the text of the poem. Guillaume Apollinaire was a famous calligram writer and author of a book of poems called Calligrammes. His poem written in the form of the Eiffel Tower is an example of a calligram.

Gallery

Guillaume Apollinaire Calligramme.JPG

L'oiseau et le bouquet.jpg

Caligrafia arabe pajaro.svg

Bismillah.JPG

Figurengedicht 1638.jpg

Sauroncalligram.jpg

See also

Alternative poetry
Spoken poetry
Oral tradition Oral interpretation Oral literature Oral poetry • Ethnopoetics Poetry reading How to read poetry out loud Performance poetry How to perform poetry Sound poetry • Slam poetry Spoken word • Rap • Dub
Found poetry
Cento  • Erasure poetry Cut-up technique Flarf • Spoetry
Visual poetry
Pattern poetry Carmen figuratum Diamante • Calligram Concrete poetry How to write a concrete poem Haptic poetry Concrete and visual poets
Digital poetry
Hypertext poetry Interactive poetry

• Word art
• Islamic calligraphy
• Micrography
• Concrete Poetry

References

• Sonja A.J. Neef: Kalligramme. Zur Medialität einer Schrift. Anhand von Paul van Ostaijens "De feesten van angst en pijn". Amsterdam: ASCA Press 2000 [1]
• Deme, Zoltan: Poem-miniatures. In: Chords of Scales, Globe Publish House 1995. Library of Congress No: 2003278749 [2]
• Post-War Japanese Poetry (with lots of Japanese calligrams), Penguin Books, 1972.

External links

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• A collection of calligrams by Laura Ruggeri