GRAPHICS OF VERSE EXPERIMENTAL TYPOGRAPH

Poetry was modernized in the twentieth century by exploiting the expressive possibilities of print, with British and American poets experimenting with the design and lay-out of the printed page. This book explores why they did this, drawing on unpublished archival materials to show how poets began to draft, sketch, and compose in new and eccentric ways as they annexed the roles of book designer and printer. Typography was instrumental in debates about metre, free verse, and the nature of poetry.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: OXFORD HIGHER EDUCATION

Poetry, a multifaceted art form, has undergone a remarkable transformation in the twentieth century. One of the defining aspects of this modernization has been the exploration of the expressive possibilities offered by print, encompassing elements such as spacing, indentation, alignment, and typeface. While the visual experiments of European poets have received ample attention, the typographical explorations of poets writing in English have largely been overlooked. This volume seeks to address a significant unanswered question: why did British and American poets, from the early twentieth century to the present day, choose to experiment with the design and layout of the printed page?

To achieve this, the book offers a comprehensive account of this lineage of literary style, examining the poetry and criticism of influential figures such as Ezra Pound, Hope Mirrlees, William Carlos Williams, E.E. Cummings, Marianne Moore, David Jones, Denise Levertov, Charles Olson, Frances Motz Boldereff, and J.H. Prynne. Drawing on unpublished archival materials, it demonstrates how poets began to draft, sketch, and compose in novel and unconventional ways as they assumed the roles of book designers and printers.

Typography, as the book argues, played a crucial role in shaping debates about meter, free verse, and the nature of poetry itself. It explores how the typography of poetry was animated by diverse disciplines such as musicology, psychophysics, linguistics, politics, ophthalmology, cartography, and advertising. By examining these interconnections, the book sheds light on the dynamic relationship between poetry and typography, revealing how it has evolved to become a vibrant and dynamic medium for artistic expression.

In conclusion, this volume provides a groundbreaking exploration of the relationship between poetry and typography in the twentieth century. By examining the works of influential poets and the broader cultural context in which they wrote, it offers a rich and nuanced understanding of how typography has shaped the evolution of poetry as an art form. It is a valuable contribution to the field of literary studies and will be of interest to scholars, students, and anyone with an interest in the power of words and the visual aesthetics of print.

ISBN-13: 9780192857217