10 Concrete Poem Examples: Top Examples To Learn

Concrete poem examples are famous for their unique shapes and style; read our guide to see the best examples of concrete poems to learn more.

Poems don’t always rhyme; sometimes, they create art visually rather than through the written word. Concrete poetry uses the space of the words to convey meaning rather than the words themselves. Concrete poem examples can help us understand the poem’s meaning on a deeper level.

Whether the typed lines create a picture or pattern, this poetic form is a true work of art. The colors, letters, words, and print create a visual experience that creates the idea in the mind of the reader. Famous concrete poems are often part of children’s literature, but they can also appear in classic works.

Concrete poem examples

1. “The Mouse’s Tale” by Lewis Carroll

This poem, found in Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, forms the shape of a mouse’s tail on the page. The misspelling in the title of “tale” is intentional because it is the tale of a mouse’s tail. Different printings interpret this visual poetry differently, but it remains one of the most famous examples of concrete poetry in modern writing.

Concrete Poem Examples: The Mouse's Tale
“The Mouse’s Tale” by Lewis Carroll is one of the most famous examples of concrete poetry in modern writing

2. “Easter Wings” by George Herbert

“Easter Wings” takes the shape of a butterfly or even an angel’s wings turned on their side. The name is fitting, as the poem talks about how God reaches out to man to create new life.

Lord, who createdst man in wealth and store,
      Though foolishly he lost the same,
            Decaying more and more,
                  Till he became
                        Most poore:
                        With thee
                  O let me rise
            As larks, harmoniously,
      And sing this day thy victories:
Then shall the fall further the flight in me.

George Herbert

3. “Forsythia” by Mary Ellen Solt

The poem “Forsythia” by Mary Ellen Solt is written to look like the plant’s branches. This art form is more about the shape of the words than the words themselves.

Forsythia
This art form is more about the shape of the words than the words themselves

4. “Vision and Prayer” by Dylan Thomas

The unique shape of “Vision and Prayer” by Dylan Thomas creates an hourglass shape. This shape poem fits well, as it talks about life and death. The shape also has a rise-and-fall feeling as the stanzas get smaller and larger through each verse.

W h o
A r e  y o u
Who   is   born
In   the   next   room
So   loud    to   my   own
That  I  can  hear  the  womb
Opening   and    the    dark   run
Over the ghost and the dropped son
Behind  the  wall  thin as a wren’s bone ?
In  the  birth  bloody  room  unknown
To  the  burn  and  turn  of  time
And  the  heart  print  of  man
Bo w s   n o   b a p t i s m
  Bu t   d a r k   a l o n e  
   Blessing       on    
The  wild
Child.

Dylan Thomas

5. “Poem in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree” by George Starbuck

In “Poem in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree,” Starbuck creates the image of a tree, filling the poem with visual words that create the image of a holiday tree. It even has an asterisk at the top, using the typography to resemble the look of a star at the top of the tree.

*

O

fury-

bedecked!

O glitter-torn!

Let the wild wind erect

bonbonbonanzas; junipers affect

6. “The Altar” by George Herbert

Another George Herbert poem, this religious poem, takes on the shape of an altar as the writer talks about the sacrifice of his Lord and the sacrifice of hearts that religious individuals should give.

  A broken ALTAR, Lord, thy servant rears,
 Made of a heart and cemented with tears:
  Whose parts are as thy hand did frame;
No workman’s tool hath touch’d the same.
                   A HEART alone
                   Is such a stone,
                  As nothing but
                  Thy pow’r doth cut.
                  Wherefore each part
                  Of my hard heart
                  Meets in this frame,
                  To praise thy name:
       That if I chance to hold my peace,
 These stones to praise thee may not cease.
   Oh, let thy blessed SACRIFICE be mine,
     And sanctify this ALTAR to be thine.

George Herbert

7. “Swan and Shadow” by John Hollander

The words of this shape poetry create the look of a swan floating on the water, with its reflection below. The reader knows instantly what the image is when looking at the poem, even without reading any of the words.

Swan and Shadow
The words of this shape poetry create the look of a swan floating on the water

8. “r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r” by E.E. Cummings

E.E. Cummings regularly uses typeface, punctuation, and even spelling to get his readers to think; this poem is no exception. The words, at first, seem meaningless, but in fact, they appear to show the chaotic movements of a grasshopper in the way the words are on the page. It appears to show the chaotic movements of a grasshopper in the way the words are on the page.

r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r
It appears to show the chaotic movements of a grasshopper in the way the words are on the page

9. “Silencio” by Eugen Gomringer

Silencio is more visual art than it is poetry. It creates a box using just the word “silence,” with an empty space in the middle. The shape of the poem conveys the meaning, inviting the reader to fill in the middle, or the silence, with their own subject matter.

            silence silence silence
            silence silence silence
            silence             silence
            silence silence silence
            silence silence silence

Eugen Gomringer

10. “This Crosstree Here” by Robert Herrick

This crosstree here is a religious poem by 19th-century poet Robert Herrick. It displays the shape of the cross of Christ while talking about the atonement made on that same tree.

This Crosstree Here
This crosstree here is a religious poem by 19th-century poet Robert Herrick

11. Beauty of Trees by Jennifer Betts

Beauty of Trees is a delightful poem shaped in the form of a towering tree. Each word in the poem wraps around the tree’s outline, starting from the bottom of the trunk, over the leaves, and back down to the roots on the ground. 

The poem perfectly demonstrates how a concrete poem can convey the beauty of the object being discussed. In this example, Betts describes the beauty of a tree by using her words to draw the beauty she sees.

“There is a beauty found in trees.. From the swayof their branches. To the elegance of the leaves. Color fills the air. When Autumn peaks its head. There is beauty found in trees. It might bring you to your knees.”

Jennifer Betts, “Beauty of Trees”

12. Uplifting by Robert Yehling

“Uplifting” is a blend of an acrostic and concrete poem. Yelling transports the reader into a hot air balloon where we soar above the trees and towards the sky. Every line creates a vivid image of the reader rising above the world around them. 

Symbolism weaves through each line of the poem, which can be interpreted in many ways. Some readers view the poem as symbolizing leaving behind our worries and implementing an optimistic attitude. At the same time, others view it as representing the cycle of life and death.

“Upon a glade of sun-sculpted

Pine forest, rooted in stone,

Layers of my bark peel away,”

Robert Yehlin, Uplifting

Poetry Resources

10 Sonnet Examples From Ancient Italy To Today

Top 10 Haiku Examples To Ponder

10 Ode Examples To Explore

10 Ballad Examples Everyone Should Learn

Top 10 Limerick Examples To Make You Laugh

Free Verse Examples: 12 Top Poems To Consider

Top 10 Ekphrastic Poem Examples

Villanelle Poem Examples To Study

Top 10 Epigram Examples

Author

  • Nicole Harms has been writing professionally since 2006. She specializes in education content and real estate writing but enjoys a wide gamut of topics. Her goal is to connect with the reader in an engaging, but informative way. Her work has been featured on USA Today, and she ghostwrites for many high-profile companies. As a former teacher, she is passionate about both research and grammar, giving her clients the quality they demand in today's online marketing world.

Tweet
Pin
Share
Share