*Laurence55

Well friends, the wrimo is in full swing and I am excited to see the work of many of my favorite haijin on DA. As the deviations unfold, the distinct voices and styles of many poets are coming to the forefront. Again, I would like to thank for hosting this event. Don't forget to learn as much as you can about the arts of haiku, senryu, and tanka...as well as haiga and haibun.

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For me, the wrimo represents not only an event for celebrating haiku, but also a moment to look deeply at my natural surroundings and meld those observations into emotion. Most importantly, the wrimo is a chance to meet many haijin across DA.

I greatly encourage all who have never participated to get involved!! In my personal experience, I can say that the art of haiku has taught me many things about life and what is truly important. Beginners of the art can meet with more experienced haijin who are always more than happy to light the way.

For more experienced poets, the wrimo is a chance to explore the depths of your artistic capability, and to have lots of fun while doing so.

I would also like to take this moment and thank for designing the 2008 Summer Wrimo stamp. It looks great as always!



Make sure to support the wrimo and add the stamp to your journal

In addition to the wrimo, I have been studying and playing renga with my partner . Our latest piece, entitled "Tropic of Cancer" can be seen here [link]

Oh, and i would like to thank for featuring my Tanka series 3 [link] and two of my found poems, Dusk [link] and Skin Deep [link] Thank you! It really means alot!

The feature can be seen here [link]

In my previous journal, I discussed the various styles of found poetry. These styles, known as “treatments” refer to how much of the original text has been altered for use in the poem. I described each treatment in detail and posted several links to sites discussing found poetry. In addition, I linked five of my own found poems. These poems can be seen here.

Skin Deep-[link]

The War of Evolution-[link]

The Midnight Series

Daybreak-[link]

Midnight-[link]

Dusk-[link]

In my fourth and final discussion of found poetry, I will be discussing an issue that many people have inquired about. This is the issue of copyrights. Being that found poetry is comprised completely of lines from other texts, it is very important that you state what works or articles you actually used. Citing your work becomes especially important if you are seeking publication. In this journal, I will discuss when citations should be used. I will also post a link to a site discussing copyrights in relation to found poetry.

When writing found poetry, knowing when to cite can present some interesting questions. While it is easy to make a case for untreated poetry, which uses a great deal of a source’s original wording, the fragmentation of treated poems can make us question the extent to which words can be “owned.”

By changing the structure of a line, doesn’t it effectively become ours?

While the poet certainly gives the lines new life by restructuring them, we must remember that the poem is designed completely from a source text and without the original author’s use of certain words or lines, our poem would not exist. In short, stating your source does not detract from your own artistic merit.

In my opinion, it is just as important to cite treated poetry as it is untreated. Doing so can prevent unnecessary legal hassles and in fact can give readers a greater appreciation for your artistry by allowing them to view the source of your finished work. In her short essay on found poetry, Linda Austin states that “according to copyright law, you are able to create new works from existing works.” What separates plagiarism from an authentic found poem is the accreditation of your source.

While Austin states that the source should be listed in the title, I think it is better (on DA anyway) to list the source in the comment space. For me, this is mainly because I do not wish to clutter the title with technical details.

Before you begin your poem, gather and make a list of each resource you will be using. While we often think we will simply remember each one, it is easy to forget when taking fragments of different texts. This will also lessen the detail work later.

In a found poem, while you cannot add words to a line, you may delete words or even change the tense of a word you are using. I personally prefer not to change the tense; it makes the piece more challenging to construct.

So there it is! Remember that citing your work can give you a little more freedom in displaying your found poem. While you don’t need to become a lawyer, understanding a little about copyrights in relation to collage art can save you a lot of grief.

This journal concludes my series on the poetic concept of Found Poetry. I am planning to take a month long break from posting educational journals. While I will still update my journals, it will mainly be about personal stuff…school, work, martial arts, love, etc.

I want to take time to reach a deeper level of personal understanding as a haijin and a writer in general. I will be studying a good deal, both privately, and with my partner . I am also preparing for my blackbelt test in martial arts. So yeah, I’ll be busy!

I will be focusing a great deal on Senryu over this next month…no journals, as I have posted a few on this subject. I will just be writing and experimenting with concepts.

As always, thanks for reading. Please note me with questions, comments, or rants.

P.S. - here are a few links to a couple of sites discussing found poetry, collage art, and copyrights.

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P.S.S- I am proud and overjoyed to announce that has received a DD!!!! This DD is for her tanka set entitled Eclipse [link]

Jade has displayed great skill and proficiency with tanka...I could not be more proud. congratulations SG!!

In my previous journal, I described my personal approach to constructing a found poem. I discussed the physical structure of found poetry and the artistic benefits of searching for texts to incorporate within a poem. In addition, I linked three of my own found poems. These poems, now four with the addition of my newest piece, can be seen here.

Daybreak-[link]

Midnight-[link]

The War of Evolution-[link]

Skin Deep-[link]

Dusk-[link]

In this journal, I will be elaborating on the previously mentioned styles of found poetry. These styles, known also as “treatments” describe the manner in which the chosen texts are manipulated for the poem. In found poetry, there are two distinct treatment styles. These styles are “treated” and “untreated” poems. In addition to discussing the main branches of found poetry, I will also take this moment to introduce the concept of “Cento.” Cento is personally one of my favorite methods, and one that is not very well known.

While I will discuss “untreated” poetry for the purpose of this journal, I do not feel it allows writers to experience the full process of “recycling” their chosen texts.

As I mentioned previously, treated poetry occurs when the text of a literary work has been changed dramatically. In a treated poem, the text is altered to the point that the original work is often unrecognizable. This manner of writing requires that the poet use their editing skills to weave the lines into a cohesive format. This process of building the poem allows writers to examine and redefine the relationships that exist between words. For me, this is important because it illustrates how simply restructuring words can open entirely new avenues of discussion and thought.

Far more popular than untreated found poetry, treated poems are usually the result of taking bits and pieces from distinct literary works or by different articles within the same body of work. In my opinion, completely reconstructing sentences prevents students from simply plastering lines together without consciously thinking of their placement in the poem. In the words of Linda Austin, “good found poetry takes work.”

…and some craziness I might add

While treated poetry completely dissects lines and passages, untreated found poems work by keeping passages and lines in pretty much the same format. While I am not a fan of found poems that are too untreated, the technique can be used effectively when writing a cento, which I will introduce shortly.

Whether a found poem is treated or untreated, the process of putting one together is essentially the same. The difference lies in how much the text is restructured.

In addition to treated and untreated found poems, there is a third method known as Cento. Cento makes use of lines or stanzas coming only from other poems. Cento poems can be classed either as treated or untreated, depending on how you space and break up stanzas. Another interesting aspect of Cento poetry is that lines can be repeated.


That is all for now. In my next and final journal about found poetry, I will be discussing the issue that I feel is most important for anyone wishing to experiment with the style. This is the issue of copyrights (insert dramatic theme music). Being that found poetry is comprised completely of lines from other texts, it is very important that you state what works or articles you actually used. This journal will probably be the most involved as I want to be sure I include as many details as I can. All suggestions are welcome.

I would also like to take this moment and thank for not only bringing this topic to my attention, but also helping me with research.


Stay tuned! As always, please note me with questions, comments, or rants

P.S.- I have listed some links here with information about found poetry and examples of the style. check them out

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In my previous journal, I gave a general overview of the poetic style known as Found poetry. I discussed the definition of the style and briefly described the differences between “treated” and “untreated” found poems. In addition, I linked three of my own found poems which can be seen here.

Midnight-[link]

Daybreak-[link]

The War of Evolution-[link]

In this journal, I will present my personal approach to writing found poetry. While there is no set standard for how a found poem should look, there are a few things to keep in mind which will make approaching the style much easier. I had initially planned to further delve into the nuances of treated and untreated found poems, but I have decided to reserve that for the next journal.

As a style that is built from recycling other texts, found poetry uses seemingly disparate lines to form a collage of the speaker’s emotion or thought. For me, the process starts with a general idea. This idea can be love, anger, philosophical thought, etc. The theme is kept general so that I have wide variety of words or phrases to choose from. As the phrases come together, the more streamlined idea will form naturally. What I have always found interesting is that as the poet chooses what they will incorporate into the poem, the audience gains a clear picture of what words or phrases most appeal to the poet. In this way, we gain a glimpse of the poet’s subconscious thought before the poem itself is even constructed. What texts you choose for your found poem is completely up to you! I personally enjoy using National Geographic Traveler because of the vivid imagery. I have also used other magazines and even graffiti from bathroom stalls.

One thing to also keep in mind is that sometimes the theme does not form until you are putting the lines together. That too is okay as there are different ways to approach the process.

Building the poem from the gathered texts is both fun and challenging. In my opinion, it is the most important part of the writing process. By organizing the lines, the poet is challenged to examine the structure of language and the manner in which words can be rearranged to present entirely new ideas. As a result, the full potential of each word is utilized. What I have often experienced is that I will record many lines but only use a few. That does make the process longer at times, but much more fun.

The physical structure of a found poem can vary. However, because the lines (unless the poem is untreated) are coming from different texts or articles within the same text, there will be a slight sense of disjointedness. This is both appropriate and welcome in found poetry. This style is not made to flow seamlessly, but rather to present how an idea can be unified even through a seemingly cracked lens. As such, found poetry, and especially treated poems, often appear abstract.

Where you choose punctuation and line breaks is also personal preference. I am the first to admit that I am not an expert in comma placement. I simply try to punctuate in a manner that allows to poem to be read clearly.

So in a nutshell, here are the steps that I usually follow

1. General idea
2. Choosing lines, phrases, or passages for the poem.
3. Organizing the poem-including omitting/adding lines, punctuation, and sometimes even formation of idea.

So there you have it! For me this formula works the best, but there will always be exceptions. As always, the most important thing is just to have fun and challenge your own ideas.

In my next journal, I will be delving a little further into “treated” and “untreated” found poems. I will discuss why I feel each one is important and list some sites to view found poetry.

In addition to my journals, I will be posting three new found poems. Stay tuned! As always, please note me with questions, comments, or rants

Hey guys, being that Tanka Awareness Month is over and the official Haiku-Wrimo does not begin until July, I have decided to take a moment and discuss the poetic style known as Found poetry. In this three part series, I will be discussing the definition of found poetry, advice for approaching the style, and my ideas on how the concept of found poetry is instrumental in understanding juxtaposition and other poetic devices. For me, the final topic is of great importance because it is beneficial in understanding the shifts that occur in many of the Japanese short forms.

Although most of you know me for my work in the Japanese poetic forms, the concept of found poetry is one that has influenced not only my thoughts concerning creativity in stanza structure, but also my outlook on the nature of language in general.

Found poetry is the rearrangement of words, phrases, and even whole passages that are taken from other sources and reframed as poetry. This transformation into a poetic structure is accomplished by applying changes to spacing, lines, or by alterations to the text (by adding or deleting words).

There are two distinct styles of found poetry. "Treated" poems occur when the text of a literary work has been changed dramatically. Treated poems are usually the result of taking bits and pieces from distinct literary works or by differing articles within the same body of work. "Untreated" poems are much more conservative and usually preserve the structure and meaning of the original work. Of the two, "treated" poems are usually more prominent and in my opinion are most useful for allowing students to reconstruct language and the meanings behind various words.

Many theorists attribute the origin of found poetry to French Uruguayan poet "Isidore Lucien Ducasse." Ducasse, who was said to be a surrealist, experimented with found poetry in his extensive work "Poésies." Although he would pass away at the young age of 24, the work of Ducasse ensured that the ideas of found poetry would be further explored.

For me, the benefits of studying found poetry can be seen in the manner in which a particular piece is constructed. Found poetry not only causes me to explore the boundaries of artistic freedom in my work, but also the manner in which lines and phrases can be "transmuted" into entirely different meanings. I have posted three found poems on DA so far They can be seen here.

Midnight-[link]

Daybreak-[link]

The War of Evolution-[link]

That is all for now. In my next journal, I will be exploring the manner in which a found poem is constructed. I will also delve deeper into the differences between "treated" and "untreated" found poems. In addition to my journals, I will be posting three new found poems. Stay tuned! As always, please note me with questions, comments, or rants