Synopsis

I actually made this style of poetry up myself (or at least I thought of it and haven't seen it any where else...). The structure of these poems is meant to merge computer programming language syntax with poetic meaning. Since there are a variety of programing languages there are an abundance of ways to structure a code form poem. Many of those I have included on the site are styled after C, MATLAB, or pseudo-code.

My Tips, Tricks, & Opinions

Feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and questions in the comments section below.

Something Different

Many programmers prefer text editors that provide syntax highlighting--this feature eases the programming process by allowing the programmer to easily differentiate keywords, comments, and variables. This method can be added to the poem as well to emphasize the meaning of the work and to authenticate the style. Using this method you can add less choppy (ie more poetic) phrases in the style of commenting and/or call the reader's attention to a particular set of words.

But Something Familiar

As a computer scientist, I know all too well that code can quickly become unreadable. Bending the tranditional syntax may be necessary to clarify meaning and readers who have no background in programming may not appreciate this style. So far only my science-y friends have commented or given feedback on my poems of this style and I can't say for certain that someone outside of this background will understand much less enjoy this style.

What I Like

This style brings out the nerd in me. It's unique and it seeks to express emotion in terms of logic, which is a nice challenge.

Examples

Function of Love (June 24, 2014)

function ( love ):
     love = time and effort;
     if ( love multiplies )
          love = friendship;
     while ( love )
          life = happiness;
end

Recent Code Form Poems