''Carmen figuratum'' (plural: ''carmina figurata'') is a
poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
that has a certain shape or pattern
formed either by all the words it contains or just by certain ones therein.
An example is
France Prešeren
France Prešeren () (2 or 3 December 1800 – 8 February 1849) was a 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet whose poems have been translated into many languages. 's "
Zdravljica
"Zdravljica" (; English: "A Toast") is a ''carmen figuratum'' poem by the 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet France Prešeren, inspired by the ideals of ''Liberté, égalité, fraternité''. It was written in 1844 and published with some change ...
", where the shape of each stanza resembles a wine cup. The term derives from the ''
carmina figurata'' of
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
texts – works in which a sacred image was picked out in red letters against a field of black type so that a holy figure could be seen and meditated on during the process of reading. The carmina figurata also spread in the Carolingian period in order to spread the use and study of Latin.
See also
*
Altar poem
*
Concrete poetry
Concrete poetry is an arrangement of linguistic elements in which the typographical effect is more important in conveying meaning than verbal significance. It is sometimes referred to as visual poetry, a term that has now developed a distinct me ...
References
Graphic poetry
{{Poetry-stub