Welcome to the fourth edition of our poetry corner. We will discuss how images can be used to promote emotion and perspective in writing. Our past editions have discussed different types of written writing, so, this time, we will highlight a different type of writing, visual writing. 

CONCRETE POEMS

Using the words of a poem to form an image, concrete poems display more meaning behind written text by changing the way the text is shaped and displayed. Concrete poems take the arrangement of words in the poem and create an image that reflects the subject matter. These types of poems symbolize how important the image is to writing, and the symbiotic relationship they share. Concrete poems can vary in their length, size, color, or spacing to create visual interest.

One famous example of a concrete poem is Lewis Carroll’s The Mouse Tail, which narrows the poem into the shape of a mouse’s tail. Carroll chose to do his poem this way to highlight the subject of the poem, the mouse, and he cleverly uses the mouse’s tail as a “tale” between a mouse and a dog. Carroll was a clever author who used language to portray images.

The poem below is about how adults can still be kids too, and it shows the story of a father reminiscing about the past and his childhood. Turn the poem sideways to see the rainbow, a symbol of childhood highlighted in this writing work.