From technics to art.


A Google search on "cut and paste poetry" brings up about 1000 hits. Some of these refer to William Burroughs and his writing style, while some, regardless of their style, seem to be less in the "cut and paste" style than from what might be called the "cut and lose" (as in "lost in cyberspace") style - one quite pleasant example, though hints of it showed up in various searches, almost succeeded in completely eluding me. (Interestingly, because that example is taken from the letters section of Suck magazine, mentioned just a short while ago in a different context, where the text on the page was traditionally within very narrow margins, it's not immediately clear where the poem ends and the rest of the letter continues which, I suppose, also says something.)

Some examples are "pedagogic", suggesting activities we might be able to perform with pupils in a classroom. One EFL project, for instance, suggests:
Choose a poem that is several stanzas long and is appropriate for the level of the students....

Rearrange the stanzas or lines of the poem and distribute them to the students. In groups, have the students cut out the stanzas or lines and paste them on a page in the order they think is best. Have each group perform their version aloud (taking turns to read verses, reading in unison, etc.). After each group has read, as a class, discuss why the orders varied (if they did) and try to create a “class version” of the poem.
Though there's certainly something "educational" in such a project, it seems more than just a bit too instructional. There is, after all, a correct answer to the "puzzle" being presented to the students, and having a correct answer seems to contradict part of the nature of poetry.



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