Recombinant poem is an experimental poetic form that constructs meaning through the algorithmic, aleatory, or modular recombination of pre-existing textual units—such as lines, phrases, or lexical items—often using digital tools, cut-up techniques, or procedural constraints. Inspired by genetic recombination in biology, this approach treats language as a malleable code that can be spliced, shuffled, and reconfigured to generate new semantic and sonic possibilities. Pioneered by Dadaists, Oulipo writers, and digital poets (e.g., Nick Montfort, Allison Parrish), recombinant poems challenge notions of authorship, originality, and linear narrative. They may manifest as generative poetry apps, interactive installations, or printed works with interchangeable stanzas. For students, recombinant poetry illuminates the materiality of language, the role of chance in creativity, and the expanding boundaries of poetic form in the digital age.

Poem created by recombining fragments from existing texts. Similar to cento but more radical deconstruction. Related to found poetry. Study postmodern appropriation techniques.