Borrowed Poetry: A Poetry Scavenger Hunt by Holly Bliss 2 votes vote Borrowed poetry is my own term for the type of poem that is created by scaven

Borrowed poetry is my own term for the type of poem that is created by scavenging for bits of sentences or phrases from other sources.

When done correctly, it is far from plagiarism. Instead, borrowed poetry pays homage, brings new life, or it can bring an added depth to the words of others.

~*~

Cento/Semi Cento

Of the three forms I will share today, the cento is the oldest. It comes from the minds of ancient Greece and Rome, and its purpose was to honor. "In Latin the word cento means 'patchwork,' and the verse form resembles a quilt of discrete lines stitched together to make a whole. The word cento is also Italian for 'one hundred,' says NY Times writer David Lehman (Lehman). Even though it means patchwork, it should flow together seamlessly.

BRIEF HISTORY

In a Malleable Jangle article Giles Goodland states, "The cento as a form was first developed in ancient Greece when poets started stitching together their own poems entirely from lines or verses taken from Homer. This form of poetry later became known as the cento, from the Latin word for patchwork, or perhaps from kentron, a Greek word meaning to graft trees." There are not many centos that have endured the ravages of time, but I find it interesting that a short one is on the leg of an Egyptian statue (Goodland).

MUST HAVES

---Lines must be gathered from poetry.
---Must never add more words.
---Must never remove any words - no matter how inconvenient they may be.
---Must never change a word - take them as the are.

COULD HAVES or What's The Poet's Choice In All This?

---Can be any number of lines
---Rhyme or not.

OF NOTE

VARIATION 1: A variation on the cento is the semi-cento. Remember that cento is also Italian for one hundred? The semi-cento assumes the general cento is one hundred lines long, and thus states that a semi-cento is fifty lines long. All other cento rules apply.

VARIATION 2: Another variation is the cento collage. In this version you would mesh your own words with lines from other poets.

Final note: Please, please, please, always quote your source. Place a key or notes at the bottom of your poem indicating which lines were originated by whom. As writers we, above all, know how it would feel if someone took credit for our work.

~*~

Found Poetry

Unlike the cento and semi-cento, found poetry can be discovered anywhere. The very heart of this form is to turn something that wasn't born poetry - into a poem. Similar to found art, a found poem can be discovered anywhere: from words on street signs to overheard conversation; from notes and letters to magazine and newspaper articles.

BRIEF HISTORY

According to the Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetry by Ron Padgett, "some of the earliest and most engrossing found poetry is in Charles Reznikoff's Testimony, based on courtroom trials" (Padgett, 79).

MUST HAVES

---Must find words somewhere.
---Must format those words so they take on a poetic quality - placing line breaks, italics, bolding, etc. in order to create emphasis and depth.
---Must never add more words.
---Must never remove any words - no matter how inconvenient they may be.
---Must never change a word - take them as the are.

COULD HAVES or What's The Poet's Choice In All This?

---Where you find your words.
---How many lines long you make it.
---How you choose to arrange them.
---Whether or not you use a whole letter or article, etc. Remember, you may not remove words, but nothing I've seen says you may not use only the beginning (middle or end) section of something. However, I would make mention of it in my source notes.

OF NOTE

VARIATION: I have also seen a variation on this that seems to cross the found poem and the cento. In this version the poet will take bits from several sources (like the cento), but it can be from anywhere (like the found poem).

***Please, please, please again - always quote your source. Place a key or notes at the bottom of your poem indicating where you scavenged the words for your poem. Indicated who said it (if known) and where it was said, in the case of something overheard.

~*~

First Lines Poem

A first lines poem is similar to a cento, in that you use poetry to create it. This time you use your own poetry. I haven't seen this poetry form anywhere but writing.com. I participated in a contest in the fall of 2002, so this may be a newer poetry form. Unfortunately, I believe the member who hosted the contest is no longer with the site, so I cannot confirm where they found the poetry form or where (and why) they came up with the idea.

BRIEF HISTORY

As stated above, I am unsure of the history of this form other than a contest I participated in just over five years ago. I include it with this group due to its similar borrowing nature.

MUST HAVES

---Must have written at least as many poems as you wish your first lines poem to be.

COULD HAVES or What's The Poet's Choice In All This?

---Can be any number of lines.
---Can rhyme or not.

OF NOTE

Plagiarism is not a problem when using your own work. However, you might want to tell the reader where they can find the original first lines.

SOURCES:

Goodland, Giles. "Notes towards a History of The Cento." Malleable Jangle 01 Mar 2008.

Lehman, David. "POEM; These Fragments I Have Shored." NY Times 02 Apr 2006 01 Mar 2008.

Padgett, Ron. Teachers & Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms. 2nd. NY: T & W Books, 2000.

About the Author

© 2008 H. Bliss. This document may be redistributed in its unedited form on the condition all copyright references are kept intact along with hyperlinked URLs.

About the Author: Using writing as paint on the canvas of her life, Holly Bliss is a newsletter editor and author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Poetry.