In this course, students will develop an understanding of
the poetics, histories, theories, cultures, and politics of “Visual
Poetry.” We will read, discuss, and analyze the different styles and
techniques of visual poetry (including imagism, concretism, futurism, dada, and
lettrism). We will also explore the relationship between visual poetry and
other visual arts and writing, such as painting, photography, collage,
petroglyphs, calligraphy, tattooing, graffiti, and maps. Since visual poetry is
an international phenomenon, we will study poets from Samoa to Brazil, Japan to
France, the US to Italy, Hawai’i to Mexico. In addition to writing short
critical responses and scholarly essays, we will also write our own
“visual poems” and compile a final portfolio of creative work.
By the end of this course, students will develop a
foundational knowledge of visual poetry and poetics; an understanding of visual
poetry writing techniques; an aptitude for independent creative and scholarly
writing and research; and the ability to contextualize one’s own work within
international traditions of visual poetry and poetics.
Required Texts:
Douglas Kearney: The Black Automaton (2009)
Kaia Sand: Remember to Wave (2010)
Imaikalani Kalahele: Kalahele (2003)
The Last Vispo Anthology:
Visual Poetry 1998-2008
Additional reading will be provided by the instructor via
Laulima.