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Carmina figurata

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A poem in which the visual arrangement of the text forms a recognizable shape

Detailed Definition
Carmina figurata (“figured poems”) are visual or pattern poems where the text is arranged to form a shape related to the subject (e.g., wings for a poem about flight); dating to ancient Greece (Simias of Rhodes) and revived in the Renaissance (George Herbert’s “Easter Wings”), this form merges typography and meaning, making the poem’s physical layout an integral part of its interpretive experience.
Example
Example in poetry:
Carmina figurata in Renaissance shaped poems like George Herbert’s "Easter Wings"; Contemporary example: poem shaped like a tree with branching lines; Carmina figurata merge text and image visually; The form dates to ancient Greek pattern poems; Carmina figurata make meaning through typography
Additional Notes
Carmina figurata are shaped poems where the visual layout forms a picture related to the subject (e.g., an altar, wings); an ancient form revived by Renaissance and concrete poets to unify text and image.
Also Known As
Shape poetry Pattern poetry
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