What is Found Poetry?
A type of poetry that uses pre-existing texts or found materials to create a new poem.
Exploring the Treasures of Language: Found Poetry
Found poetry is a delightful and insightful way to reconnect with language and create new works of art. As the name suggests, found poetry begins with pre-existing material or found objects that the writer seeks to repurpose into an original composition. This type of poetry can be crafted from a wide range of sources, including newspaper articles, song lyrics, graffiti, packaging labels, and much more.
The process of creating found poetry involves immersion into the original text and discovering fresh insights through a process of editing and distillation. Writers must be alert to the nuances of language and the different ways in which words can be re-articulated and arraigned to create their meaning. The end result often features a blend of original ideas and moments of surprise and beauty drawn from the original material.
In addition to being a creative and fun way to interact with language, found poetry can also serve as a powerful tool for learning and discovery. As a writer, you can use this technique to explore new subjects and gain new perspectives on the topics at hand. Found poetry can also be a powerful source of inspiration for other works of literature, serving as a catalyst for new ideas and fresh approaches to writing.
Found poetry has been a popular technique used by writers for decades, and here are two examples of how it has been employed by literary figures to create unique works of art.
Eliot's magnum opus from 1922, The Waste Land, is a fantastic example of found poetry created from a variety of sources, including Shakespeare, the Bible, and even popular music of the time, such as Gilbert and Sullivan. The resulting work presents a complex and fragmented picture of modern society.
The Diary of Anne Frank provides another example of found poetry, as Frank often employed this technique in her writing. Her diary entries are full of poignant descriptions and reflections drawn from a wide variety of sources, including classical literature, newspapers, and personal letters.