Summary

The website content explores the concept of concrete poetry through various examples and personal experiences, emphasizing the visual and literary aspects of this art form.

Abstract

The article titled "No Comment, just Raindrops on Hot Concrete" delves into the author's journey of discovering concrete poetry, a form where the visual arrangement of text complements the literary content. Lee Ameka, the author, illustrates this through a series of images and poems, paying homage to the ancient art of pattern poetry that has evolved into modern concrete poetry. The piece references historical and contemporary poets, including France Prešeren and Jessica Lee McMillan, and acknowledges the influence of Brazilian poets from the 1950s. Ameka reflects on the joy of creating poetry that combines visual and literary elements, mentioning the work of Kurt Gasbarro as an inspiration. The article encourages readers to engage with this form of poetry and promises interaction through comments for those who try shaped poetry themselves.

Opinions

The author expresses appreciation for the Medium stories they've read, even without leaving comments, acknowledging the effort behind each piece.
Ameka finds concrete poetry more accessible to explore using illustration software compared to traditional text editors.
The discovery of concrete poetry, also known as shaped poetry, is presented as a revelation that the author felt compelled to investigate further.
The author is impressed by the ancient roots of pattern poetry, tracing its presence in various cultures and its modern evolution.
Ameka is particularly taken by the wine-cup-shaped poem by France Prešeren, which also serves as the Slovenian national anthem, finding it a remarkable example of concrete poetry.
The article suggests that concrete poetry is not an obscure art form, citing Lewis Carroll's "A mouse's tale" as a familiar instance that readers might recognize.
The author admires the work of Kurt Gasbarro, likening the experience of discovering his poetry in comment sections to finding a Banksy artwork.
Ameka enjoys the process of shaping thoughts into visual forms and plans to continue experimenting with typographic shapes in poetry.
The author invites readers to try their hand at shaped poetry and offers to engage with their efforts by leaving comments, fostering a sense of community and interaction.

No Comment, just Raindrops on Hot Concrete

Discovering Concrete Poetry

No Comment, just Raindrops on Hot Concrete

I got nuthin’ clever to say here, my writer friend, So, I’ll just clap and hope that you find in these here meaningless no. of claps, the drops of

true warm heartfelt well wishes and smiles x

I’m really happy I read your work today. It made some small impression on my way. Not small as in insignificant but as in the way a rain drop is a tiny bit of ones own Grace felt, when it splashes on hot concrete, breaking the heat of

day

About the poem:

For all the Medium stories I read without leaving a comment. I appreciate that they were written 🙏🏾.

What I’ve done with the poem images, is explore ‘Concrete poetry’, which is easier to do by hand or, (as I have done) using illustration software, than with a text editor.

Concrete or Shaped Poetry

I had never heard of it, but when Adelia Ritchie, PhD shaped a fun poem about enjoying wine- in the shape of an actual wine glass;

Wine, All the Time, Is Fine

A poem for our times

medium.com

I just had to know, if there was a name for it. I found ‘shaped poetry’ (surprise, surprise) as it's mostly called, but it’s also referred to as ‘concrete poetry’.

The term ‘concrete poetry’ came from some Brazillian poets of the 1950s who treated language and typography (lettering) in an abstract way. They also happened to exhibit along with the artists of Concrete Art and so the term ‘concrete poetry’ was associated with (if not born) there.

Concrete is Modern, but Writing Poetry in Shapes is as Old as Writing itself

Apparently, concrete poetry is just a modern version of something ancient. ‘Pattern poetry’ as it’s called in some circles, has been identified in early Chinese and Indian texts and in Ancient Greek poetry.

Closer to our times (1844), here's another wine-cup-shaped poem:

France Prešeren, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

‘Zdravljica’ (translated ‘A Toast) by Slovene poet France Prešeren, was inspired by the ideals of the French revolution (Liberté, égalité, fraternités). Each stanza (in his original manuscript) was shaped like a wine cup in the euphoria of his revolutionary times.

What’s cool about this particular poem (other than its shape) is that it now forms the National Anthem of Slovenia.

It’s Old but not Unfamiliar

Even if you’re unfamiliar with the term, chances are, you’ve probably seen concrete poetry before. You might recognize this:

Lewis Carroll, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How witty was that? — ‘A mouse’s tale’, in the shape of a mouse tail!

And there’s plenty of examples right here on Medium itself, so it's very likely you’ve come across it. My most recent find is Jessica Lee McMillan’s beautiful poem about decluttering for headspace:

Headspace Real Estate

A free-verse concrete poem

medium.com

Final Thoughts- Tried it, Got the Pictures.

I enjoyed shaping my thoughts quickly and without being too fussy about the words themselves in my concrete poetry adventures.

What appealed to me about it was the ‘combination of visual and literary impulses’ as Dick Higgins put it, in his seminal book on the subject.

Someone who lives this combination (of visual and literary impulses) in style is Kurt Gasbarro. Kurt does a lot of his beautiful work in the comments section of other people’s work. Discovering his pieces in your comment sections is like finding a Banksy on the side of your building. Thank you, Kurt 🙏🏾: )

I started playing more with typographic shapes by the end of my adventure. (Like the last image in my poem.) This, I can see myself playing with for a bit.

And if you give any kind of shaped poetry a go, do let me know, and I promise to leave a comment!