E-Poetry by Cassie Lewis

Unlike the traditional poems written in ink, e-poetry is digital and interactive. This allows the readers to connect differently than they could before. This type of poetry is more interesting than conventional styles that have been taught in school. E-poetry can appear in countless different forms. A poem can be as simple as Puddle by Neil Hennessy or as complex as The Sweet Old Etcetera by Alison Clifford. With electronic literature and technology growing, e-poetry will continue to gain popularity which may lead to an overtake the classic ways of teaching poetry.

The piece that caught my attention the most was The P.o.E.M.M Cycle by Jason Edward Lewis and Bruno Nadeau. This series of poems are intended for an audience of any age and requires a mobile device. By downloading one of the poems in the series allows one to physically interact with a word or a group of words. For instance, Speak allows the reader to drag their finger along the screen creating a line of words that eventually creates a sentence which build poems. Know is another example from The P.o.E.M.M Cycle that allows the reader to enjoy poetry through an app on a mobile device. When you open the app a screen full of words appears allowing the person interacting with the poem to click on the screen making words bold. By touching different words, the viewer finds hidden messages and sentences.

The use of e-poetry utilizes the imagination and causes creativity to spread more rapidly than previously taught. Being able to envision and physically interact with what your reading brings out different dimensions of the text and also allows each reader to experience something different from the norm. E-poetry is not only changing how readers view art, but it is also the way the art is being made causing creativity to flourish.

Immersion By Alex DeLattre

     Electronic poetry (e-poetry) is a new form of the classic media know as poetry. With e-poetry the author or artist can transcend the two dimensional world of a book and pull the reader into a new universe. Fully immersing the reader into the world the author has created to portray their piece. Using this new medium a writer can not only use words to capture one’s mind, but can also bring to life so to speak anything in their imagination (a link for further reference on e-poetry,http://iloveepoetry.com/?p=11968).     Exemplifying this is the e-poem called The Sweet Old Etcetera authored by Alison Clifford, where they take poetry written by the famous author E.E Cummings. A link to the piece http://collection.eliterature.org/2/works/clifford_the_sweet_old_etcetera.html, in this new take of the classic poem, Clifford brings a whole new level of interactivity. Using images made up of words from the poems. This a brilliant use of modern technology to really immerse the reader into the world of the poem. Allowing the reader to relate to the piece even better, another thing Clifford did was have the text fall like a leaf alluding to the subject of the poem. Moreover, when one looks at this piece and the completely white canvas it is presenting it is easy to see that there is an infinite possible ways this piece could develop into. Filling the reader with suspense, baiting them into clicking the interactive piece, propelling them on a journey of unexpected outcomes. One could almost relate the writer as a fisherman and the reader a fish being drawn in by the bait. Clifford has truly brought a new dynamic dimension to this classic piece of literature.
     Lastly, e-poetry can be looked at like an ocean of the human psyche projected upon our modern technological world, while the reader is a fish in that ocean being drawn in by the different pieces of digital media in this ever expanding ocean.

Reaction to E-poetry by Peter Panagiotou

Electronic poetry, or E-poetry is a poetic form that capitalizes on the advantages that a digital format allows.  These advantages often consist of on-screen movement that can stimulate the senses to a degree greater than is possible when reading a poem. This use of movement to convey meaning is apparent when viewing the E-poem “Puddle” by Neil Hennessy. This poem uses only a few words, but expresses a vivid depiction of water drops falling into a puddle of water.  The cyclical motion that this poem uses displays a calming and peaceful tone. The poem also mimics the falling of water droplets from a surface into water, and the rippling that the drops cause. This display actively helps the reader prescribe meaning to only a few words that might have been unappreciated if only read on a piece of paper.  This is not to say that traditional poetry cannot convey  meaning efficiently, but that E-poetry can help guide the reader to greater understanding of the material in a more active manner. Some might even argue that E-poetry like “Puddle” is more accessible than standard print poetry, when it come to interpreting meaning. Taking advantage of digital benefits of E-poetry can provide people who have a hard time enjoying the ,often puzzle like, nature of poems with a way to enjoy poetry. This accessibility could broaden the rage of people who enjoy poetry, and help the field of literature move into the future as an even more popular medium.

E-poetry is a unique when it comes to artistic expression. It would be difficult  to match both the creativity and utility that E-poems can offer. With constantly changing technology, poetry continues to be enriched with new features that contribute positively to the storytelling tradition. Whether it is touch screen technology, or even the emergence of virtual reality, E-poetry will continue as an innovative way to experience digital media.

Electronic Literature

Electronic literature can help the reader experience storytelling in an unique, and entertaining way. The use of visual, or auditory aids that are often employed in E-Literature can guide the reader to a greater understanding of the material, that simply may not possible with more orthodox print literature.

One such example of E-literature that utilizes google maps to aid in visualization, and add plot context is Mr. Plimpton's Revenge. The story begins with the Dinty Moore being tasked with picking up the famous author, George Plimpton, from the airport. The story is conveyed through map destinations that correlate with specific plot points in the story. An example of this storytelling mechanic would be when Moore picks up Mr.Plimpton from the airport, the map shows the exact airport being mentioned in the story. This allows the reader to picture, with greater accuracy, the events that unfolded throughout Moore’s adventures with Plimpton. Another interesting advantage of the E-lit format of Mr.Plimpton's revenge is the ability to convey emotions in a greater capacity than might be possible with standard print literature.

 

Mr. Plimpton's Revenge, brings an interesting concept and with an array of emotions like, guilt, shame, and anxiety together with the use of technology and storytelling.  Moore, adds a completely new dimension on this kind of story by bringing the reader along with the main character though his journey with the use of Google Maps. Writing a small portion of the tale at every stop on the map, giving the reader a sense of suspense and a real feeling of actually taking a journey along with the main character. Electronic literature brings a whole new dimension to the field of writing and storytelling, allowing for even greater access to the human psyche than ever before. Breathing new life into the oldest and possibly most cherished art humankind, the idea of telling a story.

Electronic literature is something that will continue to grow as long as technology also continues to grow. Adding new dimensions of writing styles and techniques gives each reader a different experience. Being able to physically interact with a work makes learning and reading more fascinating. There are so many aspects of digital literature in the electronic world to explore and anyone can get started at The Electronic Literature Collection.

Alex, Pete and Cassie