Abstract
Abstract: Poetry comics are a subgenre or hybrid form that appropriate elements and techniques from its foundational genres: poetry and comics. A form that braids literary traditions with visual art, poetry comics’ rich history and metaphorical possibility make for innate and deep engagement. This paper offers a brief history of visual poetry, an explicit definition of poetry comics along with theoretical context for engagement, and pedagogical approaches to using poetry comics in the creative writing classroom. In a discussion focused on interpretation and individual meaning-making, I reference Bianca Stone’s creative work, Sarah Minor’s scholarship on “textual reading” vs. “visual seeing,” and Jen Soriano’s study of “intersectional form.” Additionally, this paper serves to explicate the benefits of reading and making poetry comics to both practitioners and teachers of creative writing by highlighting the form’s intersectional, multimodal nature, alignment with culturally responsive pedagogies, and capacity to promote critical thought. Included in the appendix is a practical and engaging lesson sequence and other ideas for the classroom intended for teachers working with writers of all ages and experience levels.
Recommended Citation
Beneway, Mara
(2023)
"Why Poetry Comics? An overview of the form's origins, creative potential, and pedagogical benefits,"
Journal of Creative Writing Studies: Vol. 8:
Iss.
1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://repository.rit.edu/jcws/vol8/iss1/11