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A found poem uses language from non-poetic contexts and turns it into poetry. Think of a collage -- visual artists take scraps of newspaper, cloth, feathers, bottle caps, and create magic. You can do the same with language and poems.
Writing this type of poetry is a kind of treasure hunt. Search for interesting scraps of language, then put them together in different ways and see what comes out. Putting seemingly unrelated things together can create a kind of chemical spark, leading to surprising results.
You might end up rewriting the poem in the end and taking all the found language out, or you might keep the found scraps of language almost in their original form. Either way, found language is a great way to jolt your imagination.
There are no rules for found poetry, as long as you are careful to respect copyright.
Things to consider when writing a found poem:
Things to consider when writing a found poem:
What's the message or unifying idea you want to get across. (This may develop before or after you gather possible pieces of your poem.)
Cross out any words or ideas that seem dull, uninteresting, or unsuited to expressing the central idea. You might want to get rid of words like a, an, and the as well as those like but, and, and so (but this is up to you!).
Looking at the remaining words, phrases, and sentences, begin to make the changes you need to create your poem. Move things around, repeat words or phrases, and generally re-arrange the language to suit your goals.
Change punctuation as necessary and tend to any other fixes you need to make after moving and removing words and phrases in the previous steps.
After making these changes, decide if you need to add anything to make the sound and meaning of the poem flow smoothly or to add a personal touch to the poem.
Arrange the words, phrases, and sentences as poetically as you wish. Pay attention to line breaks, layout, and other elements that will emphasize important words or significant ideas.
Here are some final tips:
Here are some final tips:
Read aloud as you arrange the words. Test different line breaks based on the rhythm of the new language and the way you want the ideas to be expressed.
Consider spacing words in an interesting way. Space words out to slow the line down. Run them all together for a rushed effect.
Consider putting key words on lines by themselves for greater effect.
Shape the poem into an object or idea related to the poem’s content.
Give your found poem a title and be sure to include the name of the original text and author that inspired your creation!
Material adapted from:
“Writing Your Own Found Poem.” ReadWriteThink.Org, ILA/NCTE, www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/p-as_docs/OwnFoundPoem.pdf. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.
Victor, William. “Found Poetry - Found Poem.” Creative Writing Now, www.creative-writing-now.com/found-poetry.html. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.
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