Calligrams

Overview

In the twentieth century ‘words no longer are perceived as transparent signs, but assume the shape and destiny of objects’ (Bohn, 1986, p.3).

In other words a calligram is a word-picture which gets the shape and destiny of its objects. For example:

calligram

Author: Guillaume Apollinaire, 'Madeleine'

Source: Bohn, W. (1986) The Aesthetics of Visual Poetry 1914-1928. Cambridge University Press.

Calligrams means ‘beautiful writing’. According to Bohn the calligram represents a highly original contribution to the visual tradition (Bohn, 1986, p.46). He stayed that ‘the calligrams present astonishing variety of shapes: from the simple lines of everyday objects to visual ballets of complicated counterpoint. Typically, the poems swirl into themselves, swoop into the air, or advance toward the reader’ (Bohn, 1986, p.49).

According to Bohn the calligrams can be divided into:

Still lifes

Landscapes (or cityscapes)

And portraits (Bohn, 1986, p.60).

Furthermore, calligrams are used to create expressions in a more advanced way ,for example Flash.

As stated by Apollinaire in his book, calligrams are used to express the poets emotions and feelings which create visual image of the poem or the theme the poem in the readers mind. For example poet created a poem about love and diamond and he expressed this in a shape of a diamond, this will create an automatic image of a diamond in the readers mind and will be more effective and reader will find it more interesting to read it and therefore the reader will understand what the poet trying to express or create.

DIAMOND

*
*the*
*diamond*
*on my hand*
*reflecting love*
*stars , dance*
*an endless*
*diamond*
*sky*
*

http://poetrypotpourri.homestead.com/files/Poetry_Potpourri_Calligrams.htm

Nowadays with the new technology you got the facilities to create your own calligrams. For example:

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