Found Poetry

Cunningham

Found Poetry

A found poem is a poem made up entirely of other people’s words.  There are many forms this can take:  Straight quotation lineated on the page for effect.   Excerpted and arranged from a single source.  Excerpted and arranged from multiple sources.  There is a special kind of found poem called the Cento, which is a hundred line poem composed of first lines from other people’s poems.  Etc.

Today, we’re going to compose a found poem based on the news.  Here are the rules:

“ALWAYS, always, always list the source information BEFORE you start recording phrases. Once you get involved with found poetry, you will find yourself jotting lines on whatever is handy, thinking you will remember the source. You won't.

Use only the words, phrases, sentences from your source.
Don't add any words.
You can delete words.
You can change the tense of a word.
You can repeat words, phrases, sentences.
You must credit your source.
You can add an epigram from another source, or create your own with words from your source.”

(Found in “Found Poetry,” by Linda J. Austin:  http://www.thewritersezine.com/t-zero/archives/2003-texts/2003-12-poetics.shtml, accessed 12/1/10)