Evaluating the significance of concrete poetry in the emerging practices of digital poetry

This thesis examines the visual aspects of concrete poetry in the context of the new conditions of interactive technology. The development of interactive technology has expanded the expressive possibilities of concrete poetry,and enables ideas originating in concrete poetry (which emerged in the 1950s) to be developed beyond the limitations of the printed page. So, the new poetry demands new terminology, that is, a definition of interactive concrete poetry. I have conducted a systematic investigation of concrete poetry in different periods and media, and explored the scope of different approaches through a number of practice-led projects including print-based concrete poetry, digital dynamic poetry, and interactive concrete poetry. To complement and inform practical research, I studied and compared different critical perspectives, exhibited my practical works and had conversations with poet and new media artists to help with establishing a critical framework for interactive poetry and analyzing aspects of my research. Besides establishing the definitions of this new medium, I also found new forms of poetic communication in interactive concrete poetry, which is essentially a confluence of interactive technology, poetics, and typography. This new medium of expression allows readers to engage in dialogue with the text, and uses a variety of new technologies to create a poetry that provides multiple sensory experiences. this find constitutes a strong background for the creation of an aesthetic theory of interactive concrete poetry. Thus，this thesis makes significant contributions to a new field of knowledge and provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for interactive poetry. In addition to the research value in its field, the thesis expands our current understanding of non-linear literature, reading patterns, typographic art, and interactive design technology. Key words: concrete poetry, digital poetry, interactive concrete poetry, interactive typography, practice-led research.