Calligram
Written work arranged in a way that creates a visual image
A calligram is a set of words arranged in such a way that it forms a thematically related image. It can be a poem, a phrase, a portion of scripture, or a single word; the visual arrangement can rely on certain use of the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting, for instance along non-parallel and curved text lines, or in shaped paragraphs. The image created by the words illustrates the text by expressing visually what it says, or something closely associated; it can also, on purpose, show something contradictory with the text or otherwise be misleading, or can contribute additional thoughts and meanings to the text.
01Writers
Guillaume Apollinaire was a famous calligram writer and author of a book of poems called Calligrammes.
José Juan Tablada wrote a book of Spanish-language calligrams entitled Li-Po y otros poemas.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Calligram”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Calligramme.svg by Guillaume Apollinaire, Public domain
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