{Ed. Note: This article is from Books and Vines contributor DlphcOracl. Shaped Poetry was the eighth publication of the Arion Press, published in 1981 in an edition of 300. It is a typographic tour de force as you will see below. I believe Arion Press has one copy in new condition available to sell. This is an important work and should go quickly. Contact Lyssa at Arion Press if interested.}

As described in the Arion Press catalogue (1975-1995): “Shaped poetry is uniquely tied to typographical expression because the component letters and symbols of such poems are so arranged upon the page that they form a visual image reflecting the meaning or subject matter of the text.  The choices range from 300 B. C. to the present day.  This anthology of the genre was developed entirely at the Arion Press.  From our collection of some two hundred foundry types we employed an array of letterforms seldom seen outside a type specimen book.  The suite is also a representative collection of handmade papers from around the world.  Press editor Glenn Todd wrote the accompanying monograph on shaped poetry and Andrew Hoyem wrote production notes for each of the selections.”

This publication comes in a large custom,  cloth-covered clamshell box with unusual black foam walls measuring 18″ H x 14″ W x 1.5″ thickness.  Within the clamshell box are an enclosed book entitled The Companion Volume and  a folder entitled The Suite of Thirty Prints, both in  thick, black handmade paper covers.  Both the enclosed companion book and folio of pages containing the thirty poems measure 16″ H x 12″ W.  The Companion Volume (32 pages) presents the title page, an index of the 30 shaped poem titles, a fifteen page essay on shaped poetry by Glenn Todd, and a section entitled Notes on the Selections.  For each selection Glenn Todd discusses the poem, its poet, and the meaning of each poem and how it relates to its chosen shape.  Directly below, Andrew Hoyem then gives ‘Printer’s Notes’ regarding typography, choice of handmade papers, typefaces, etc.  The Companion Volume is printed from Monotype Times New Roman and handset Weiss Titling on Ruysdael paper.

In the open folder thirty poems are collected, each with its own unique type and handmade paper chosen specifically for that poem.  Twenty-nine of the poems are prints on individual sheets measuring 15 by 11 inches.  The thirtieth poem (Un Coup de Des Jamais by Stephane Mallarme) is comprised of ten panels, each 15 by 11 inches, bound in a circular accordion-fold.  A plexiglass frame for display of individual prints (not shown) is also included.

Pictures

(All pictures on Books and Vines are exclusively provided to highlight and visualize the work being reviewed.  A side benefit, hopefully, is encouraging healthy sales of fine press books for the publishers and fine retailers that specialize in these types of books (of which Books and Vines has no stake or financial interest). Please note that works photographed are copyrighted by the publisher, author and/or illustrator as indicated in the articles. Permission to use contents from these works for anything outside of fair use purposes must come directly from the copyright owner and no permission is granted or implied to use photo’s found on Books and Vines for any purpose that would infringe on the rights of the copyright owner.)