Digital poetry is a form of

electronic literature Electronic literature or digital literature is a genre of literature where digital capabilities such as interactivity, multimodality or Generative literature, algorithmic text generation are used aesthetically. Works of electronic literature ar ...

, displaying a wide range of approaches to

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, with a prominent and crucial use of

computer A computer is a machine that can be Computer programming, programmed to automatically Execution (computing), carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (''computation''). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic set ...

Digital Digital usually refers to something using discrete digits, often binary digits. Businesses *Digital bank, a form of financial institution *Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) or Digital, a computer company *Digital Research (DR or DRI), a software ...

poetry can be available in form of

CD-ROM A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains computer data storage, data computers can read, but not write or erase. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold b ...

, DVD, as installations in

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

, in certain cases also recorded as digital video or films, as digital holograms, on the

World Wide Web The World Wide Web (WWW or simply the Web) is an information system that enables Content (media), content sharing over the Internet through user-friendly ways meant to appeal to users beyond Information technology, IT specialists and hobbyis ...

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...

, and as mobile phone apps. According to Saum-Pascual (2019), digital poetry is the artistic heir to the avant-garde movements of the second half of the 20th century, including

Lettrism Lettrism is a French avant-garde movement, established in Paris in the mid-1940s by Romanian immigrant Isidore Isou. In a body of work totaling hundreds of volumes, Isou and the Lettrists have applied their theories to all areas of art and cultur ...

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 mea ...

, and conceptual poetry. A significant portion of current

publication To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Convention, articl ...

s of poetry are available either only

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity, and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed as "on lin ...

or via some combination of online and offline publication. Digital poetry types

hypertext Hypertext is E-text, text displayed on a computer display or other electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text that the reader can immediately access. Hypertext documents are interconnected by hyperlinks, which are typic ...

, kinetic poetry, computer generated animation, digital

visual poetry Visual poetry is a style of poetry that incorporates graphic and visual design elements to convey its meaning. This style combines visual art and written expression to create new ways of presenting and interpreting poetry. Visual poetry focuses on ...

, interactive poetry,

code poetry Code poetry is literature that intermixes notions of classical poetry and source code. Unlike digital poetry, which prominently uses physical computers, code poems may or may not run through executable binaries. A code poem may be interactive or ...

, experimental video poetry, virtual poetry (that uses virtual reality systems), and poetries that take advantage of the programmable nature of the computer to create works that are interactive, or use a generative or combinatorial approach to create text (or one of its states), or involve sound poetry, or take advantage of things like listservs,

blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...

s, and other forms of network communication to create communities of

collaborative writing Collaborative writing is a procedure in which two or more persons work together on a Writing, text of some kind (e.g., academic papers, reports, creative writing, projects, and business proposals). It is often the norm, rather than the exception, i ...

and publication (as in poetical

wiki A wiki ( ) is a form of hypertext publication on the internet which is collaboratively edited and managed by its audience directly through a web browser. A typical wiki contains multiple pages that can either be edited by the public or l ...

s). Digital platforms allow the creation of art that spans different

media Media may refer to: Communication * Means of communication, tools and channels used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Interactive media, media that is inter ...

: text, images, sounds, and interactivity via programming. Contemporary poetries have, therefore, taken advantage of this toward the creation of works that synthesize both arts and media. Whether a work is poetry visual art music or programming is sometimes not clear, but we expect an intense engagement with language in poetical works.

History

Early digital poems include

Christopher Strachey Christopher S. Strachey (; 16 November 1916 – 18 May 1975) was a British computer scientist. He was one of the founders of denotational semantics, and a pioneer in programming language design and computer time-sharing.F. J. Corbató, et al., T ...

's love letter generator (1952), the stochastic texts which were indirectly produced by the German mathematician Theo Lutz in 1959 by programming a Z22 of

Konrad Zuse Konrad Ernst Otto Zuse (; ; 22 June 1910 – 18 December 1995) was a German civil engineer, List of pioneers in computer science, pioneering computer scientist, inventor and businessman. His greatest achievement was the world's first programm ...

;

Nanni Balestrini Nanni Balestrini (2 July 1935 – 19 May 2019) was an Italian experimental poet, author and visual artist of the Neoavanguardia movement. Context Nanni Balestrini is associated with the Italian writers' movement Neoavanguardia. He wrote fo ...

's "Tape Mark I" in Italian, published in 1961; and

Brion Gysin Brion Gysin (19 January 1916 – 13 July 1986) was a British-Canadian painter, writer, sound poet, performance artist and inventor of experimental devices. He is best known for his use of the cut-up technique, alongside his close friend, the ...

's English permutation poems from around 1959, done automatically with the collaboration of

Ian Somerville Ian Somerville (born September 1, 2000) is an American ice dancer. With his skating partner, Emily Bratti, he is the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2024 U.S. national bronze medalist and 2024 Grand Prix de France bronze medalist. With hi ...

. These and other early digital poems are discussed in C. T. Funkhouser's ''

Prehistoric Digital Poetry ''Prehistoric Digital Poetry: An Archaeology of Forms, 1959–1995'' is a nonfiction book by C. T. Funkhouser. It provides documentation and literary criticism of early forms of electronic literature and digital poetry, many of which are no longe ...

.''

Hypertext

Hypertext Hypertext is E-text, text displayed on a computer display or other electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text that the reader can immediately access. Hypertext documents are interconnected by hyperlinks, which are typic ...

poetry refers to creative works that are interconnected through the mechanics of digitization. This form of cyberpoetry has a specific focus on visual arts that are connected across different mediums. In other words, hypertext poetry is a classification of digital poetry that links the reader to different places in a document or different documents on the Internet. In general, hypertext poetry combines the elements of culture and intertextuality to marry poetry to various digital mediums such as images, videos, texts, and songs. Hypertext usually falls into two categories: exploratory and constructive. Exploratory hypertext poetry allows users to navigate through a text by interest, engagement, and reflection. This means readers can explore and think creatively about a poem that is digitized on a computer. Constructive hypertext poetry takes a different approach. This poetry is built by an audience over time to create a fully fleshed-out final draft. Along with this, audiences can look at previous versions of the text. In all, the focus of constructive hypertext poetry is how computer software and machinery can enhance the creation of poetry. As such, users can see first-hand the amalgamation of an author's inspiration, writing process, and cultural influences. The advent of hypertext poetry can be dated back to the mid-1980s.

Ted Nelson Theodor Holm Nelson (born June 17, 1937) is an American pioneer of information technology, philosopher, and sociologist. He coined the terms ''hypertext'' and ''hypermedia'' in 1963 and published them in 1965. According to his 1997 ''Forbes'' p ...

is often credited for coining the term in the 1960s. Ted Nelson coined the term as he believed printed text would soon be outdated and that literature would move to a more digital sphere. Some people disagree on when exactly the term came to be. "Hypertext" has origins in the 18th century. Moreover, it is believed that Vannevar Bush's description of "the memex" in 1945 also referred to hypertext. While there are a variety of factors that have caused hypertext to be as well known as it is today, its popularization can be traced back to two particular events. One event is Apple's invention and heavy promotion of the "Hypercard" in 1987. This made hypertext less niche, where thousands of people could now recognize and understand the concept. In addition, there was a large national conference on hypertext held in 1987, drawing participants from multiple studies and disciplines.

Interactivity

Interactive poetry is a form of digital poetry by which the reader may or must contribute to the content, form, or performance of the work, thereby influencing the meaning and experience of the poem. Interaction allows the reader to participate and influence the work and their experience of it. Interactive poetry is limited to a digital medium as it cannot perform the same function in other media such as print, which limits accessibility. Interactive poetry can also provide a different experience with each reading or from reader to reader so analysis of this type of poetry can be challenging as the experience is not static. An example of audience participatory poetry is ''

haikU is a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases composed of 17 Mora (linguistics), morae (called ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' in Japanese) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern; that include a ''kire ...

'' by

Nanette Wylde Nanette Wylde is an American artist and writer. Wylde is known for her early incorporation of digital media as a fine art media, her work in net.art, electronic literature, and artwork which takes book form. Wylde makes works which are interdiscip ...

. Elit scholar,

Scott Rettberg Scott Rettberg is an American digital artist and scholar of electronic literature based in Bergen, Norway. He is the co-founder and served as the first executive director of the Electronic Literature Organization. He leads the Center for Digita ...

writes of this project "Nanette Wylde’s ''haikU'' (2001) is a project based on principles of user participation and on the use of a randomizing function to produce haiku that startle in the sense of producing unintended juxtapositions—no single author has determined which lines will appear together. The reading interface is a simple, spare web page. Every time a reader reloads the page, a new

haiku is a type of short form poetry that originated in Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases composed of 17 Mora (linguistics), morae (called ''On (Japanese prosody), on'' in Japanese) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern; that include a ''kire ...

is produced. Following a link to “Write haiku” individuals can submit their own haiku in three lines, each of which has its own button to post the line to bins of first, middle, and last lines. The poems delivered on each reload of the site are not the individual haiku as submitted by readers, but recombinations of these first, middle, and last lines of haiku pulled together in a variable way. Reloading the page twenty times or so, it is remarkable how many of the poems read as if they have been individually intended by a human intelligence. Most of the haiku, perhaps 80%, cohere quite well as poetry."

Notable poets

References

Bibliography

*AAVV, ''La coscienza luccicante. Dalla videoarte all’arte interattiva'', Gangemi, Roma 1998 *Jean-Pierre BALPE, "L'Ordinateur, sa muse", in "Pratiques" nº 39, Metz 1984 *Jean-Pierre BALPE, "La position de l'auteur dans la génération automatique de textes à orientations littéraires", in "Lynx" nº 17, Université de Paris-X Nanterre, Nanterre, 1987 *Friedrich W. BLOCK, Christiane HEIBACH, Karin WENZ (eds.), p0es1s. The Aesthetics of Digital Poetry, Ostfildern-Ruit, Hatje Cantz, 2004 (German, English) *Wayne CLEMENTS. "Poetry Beyond the Turing Test", Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA 201

*Caterina DAVINIO, “Parole virtuali. La poesia video-visiva tra arte elettronica e avanguardia”, in "Doc(K)s. Un notre web” (libro e CD), serie 3, 21, 22, 23, 24, Ajaccio (F) 1999 *Caterina DAVINIO, "Scritture/Realtà virtuali" in "Doc(K)s" (web), 2000 *Caterina DAVINIO, ''Tecno-Poesia e realtà virtuali'' (''Techno-Poetry and Virtual Reality''), essay with preface by Eugenio Miccini (Italian/English), Mantova, Sometti, 2002. *Sergei A. DEMCHENKOV, Dmitriy M. FEDYAEV, Natalya D. FEDYAEVA, "Autopoet" Project: a Semantic Anomalies Generator or a New Existence Creator? in "Astra Salvensis" Vol. 6. Supplement 1, ASTRA, 2018. P. 639-646 * Tina Escaja, "Escritura tecnetoesquelética e hipertexto en poetas contemporáneas en la red.” in Espéculo (Universidad Complutense de Madrid). 24 (Julio-Octubre), 200

*Chris T. FUNKHOUSER, Prehistoric Digital Poetry, An Archeology of Forms, 1959–1995, Tuscaloosa, The University of Alabama Press, 2007 *Loss Pequeño GLAZIER, Digital Poetics: The Making of E-Poetries, Tuscaloosa, The University of Alabama Press, 2002 *Eduardo KAC, New Media Poetry: Poetic Innovation and New Technologies, "Visible Language" Vol. 30, No. 2, Rhode Island School of Design, 1996. *Eduardo KAC, Hodibis Potax, Édition Action Poétique, Ivry-sur-Seine (France) and Kibla, Maribor (Slovenia), 2007. *Eduardo KAC, Media Poetry: an International Anthology (Second Edition), Bristol: Intellect, 2007. *Eduardo KAC, Telepresence, Biotelematics, Transgenic art, Association for Culture and Education, Maribor 2000 * *George P. LANDOW. Hypertext 2.0. 2nd ed. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1997. *Naji, Jeneen. ''Digital Poetry.'' Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. *Philadelpho MENEZES, ''Poetics and Visuality'', translation Harry Polkinhorn, San Diego State University Press, 1995. *Philadelpho MENEZES, ''Poesia Concreta e Visual'', São Paulo, Ática, 1998. *Philadelpho MENEZES(org.), ''Poesia Sonora: poéticas experimentais da voz no século XX'', São Paulo: EDUC (Editora da PUC), 1992. *Philadelpho MENEZES, "Poesia Visual: reciclagem e inovação", em revista Imagens, número 6, Campinas, Editora da Unicamp, 1996, pp. 39/48. *Philadelpho MENEZES, "Poetics and new technologies of communication: a semiotic approach" in Face - Revista de Semiótica e Comunicação, D.1, 1998, site: www.pucsp.br/~cos-puc/face *Kenneth MEYER, “Dramatic narrative in Virtual Reality”, in Frank BIOCCA e Mark R. LEVY (eds.), Communication in the Age of Virtual Reality, Hillsdale, New Jersey, Lawrence Erlbaum, 1995, pp. 219/259. *Janet MURRAY, ''Hamlet on the Holodeck – The future of narrative in Cyberspace'', Cambridge, MIT Press, 1997. *Tom O'Connor, Poetic Acts & New Media, Lanham MD: University Press of America, 2006. *Walter J. ONG, ''Orality and literacy – The technologizing of the word'', Londres, Routledge, 1989. *Cynthia D. SHIRKEY. “E-poetry: Digital Frontiers for an Evolving Art Form.” C&RL News 64.4 (April 2003). *Janez Strehovec. ''Text as Ride''. Morgentown. West Virginia UP (Computing Literature), 2016. *Eric VOS. "New Media poetry - Theory and Strategies" in : Eduardo KAC (ed.), New Media Poetry: Poetic Innovation and New Technologies, "Visible Language" Vol. 30, No. 2, Rhode Island School of Design, 1996.

External links

ELMCIP Electronic Literature Knowledge Base

Dichtung Digital - journal für digitale ästhetik

The Digital Aphorisms of Rip Kungler

Cyberarts Web, with discussions, definitions and links

Electronic Poetry Center, SUNY Buffalo

Leonardo Electronic Almanac 14 5-6 (2006)

* ttp://www.totopoetry.com/ Toto PoetryA Digital Poetry Dictionary authored by Computers {{DEFAULTSORT:Digital Poetry Poetry movements 20th-century literature 21st-century literature Genres of electronic literature