10 examples of CALLIGRAMMS

The calligram is a type of poetry that is used for children to begin to cultivate interest in this type of literature. When these calligrams are more complex and show a language more typical of adults, it is because they want to leave the viewer shocked through a very visual image, about the concept they want to transmit.

In this lesson from a PROFESSOR we are going to explain in more detail what are calligrams and we're going to give you some calligram examples, so you know how you can recognize them when you find yourself in front of one.

Index

1. What is a calligram - definition
2. How to make a calligram
3. 5 examples of calligrams

According to the RAE, the official definition of calligram is the next:

"Written, generally poetic, whose typographic layout outlines figures alluding to the subject matter."

a calligram it's a kind of poetry that combines the written words with a very visual image of the poem. That is to say, the subject on which the poem speaks could be summed up in a very impressive way in the image that the viewer is seeing.

For example: A calligram that speaks about spring in which its image is a wide open flower.

The text, the calligraphy and the form in which the words are arranged form a general image about what the author wants to convey to his readers. Mixing the word with the image makes the poetic piece have a much deeper weight for the receivers.

In conclusion, the calligrams are poems that have the form of a concrete image and with what they say they support the meaning of this image. So calligrams are part of the style of visual poetry.

Making a calligram is not easy, so it is normal that it does not work out at first and that you have to keep trying until you get the hang of it. You can do it through the internet, with an application designed to create automatic calligrams or do it by hand, which is what we will show you below.

1. To make a calligram by hand, the first thing you should do is stop and think. You should reflect on the text, make a poetic composition and then summarize it into a single image in your mind. Draw a sketch of that image to see if it really fits the text you've written.
2. Once you are sure of the text you want to write and the image in which the letters will be inserted, you can get to work.
3. make a custom sketch of the image you have chosen or search for it online and print it. Put a sheet of paper on top of the printed sketch and trace the lines with pencil, to have your own sketch. Then it's time to start write the poem little by little without leaving the margins that the sketch proposes. It is possible that several times you will have to erase and restructure the letter.
4. The words must be written from left to right, so that the reader understands the logical order of the composition and can read it without problems. Remember that you must also choose the type of calligraphy what you want For example, if you are dealing with a terrifying subject, your handwriting may be shaky or if you are talking about the order of things, you can write your text in capital letters.
5. Once you have written your composition and are happy with the result, we recommend that you trace the text with a pen, so that it is well engraved on the paper. Finally, you only have to erase the pencil that is intuited under the letters and lines of the sketch, to see the final result of your calligram.

Show your work to a trusted friend to give you his opinion and see if he has a hard time reading the calligram or if, on the other hand, he does it easily and understands the idea you want to convey.

Image: Youtube

we leave you with some calligram examples, so you can get ideas and create your own poetic composition, accompanied by an image.

1. A poem that talks about slowness of the government to solve the problems that ordinary people suffer, in which the text has the shape of a snail.
2. A poem about him love in which the text shows us a heart.
3. A poem speaking about the injustice of war, in which the main image that forms the calligram is a gun.
4. A calligram that tells us about the beauty of literature and that the general image is an open book.
5. A poem that talks about Kisses to a loved one, in which the shape of the calligram is lips.

Now you know some examples of calligrams and you know what it is and how you can create your own calligram. If you are interested in continuing to learn more about this topic or something similar, do not hesitate to consult our writing section.

If you want to read more articles similar to examples of calligrams, we recommend that you enter our category of Writing.

• Apollinaire, G. (2015). Calligrams. District Institute of the Arts-Idartes.
• d'Ors, M. (2006). New data on calligrams. Rhythmic. Spanish Journal of Comparative Metrics, (3-4).