
Concrete poetry treats the visual arrangement of words as part of the poem.
Instead of placing lines in a conventional block, the poet arranges them into a shape connected to the subject.
The words may form a circle, object, figure, or abstract design.
The reader therefore encounters the poem visually before fully interpreting its language.
Spacing, typography, and the position of individual words can contribute to the meaning.
The page itself becomes part of the literary work.
In this form of poetry, reading and looking are inseparable activities.
© Poetry Foundation