Word Play (Shape Poems, Concrete Poems, Calligrams)

A "non-traditonal" type of poem is the SHAPE POEM. Shape poems have been around for centuries. In a shape poem, the way the text is layed out creates a shape. A CONCRETE POEM is a shape poem with the constriction that the poem is about the shape (i.e. a poem about a leaf would look like a leaf). The following is a shape poem:

                                                                          
                               "Oh." 
                               "Mmm"  
                           Might as well.
                         Maybe I shouldn't. 
                        But who would know?? 
                        Alright, I'll do it.
                   Thump...Thump...Thump...BOINK! 
               "Owww"...What a dumb place from a wall.
               Thump.....Thump....."MEOW!!!"..."SHHHHH!" 
             >>whew<< That was close..."Mmm"...I like big,
            Big words like caterpillar, big icecream cones,
             "MEEOOOW!!!"....Oh you stupid thing, shut up! 
                 I don't want you to wake up someone. 
                   It should be here...clink...Yes. 
                        All this for a cookie.

In a CALLIGRAM, extra meaning is given to a word by the way it's written. For example:

                                                                    
    #### ##### #### #### #### #### 
    #      #   #  # #    #    # 
    ####   #   #### ###  #### #### can really bring you  D   
       #   #   # #  #       #    #                       O          
    ####   #   #  # #### #### ####                       W 
                                                         N
                                                         !

For practice do a simple shape poem. (It might be easier if you choose a simple shape like a triangle or something.)

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