Book Spine Poetry

Creative Writing students visited UHS Library to compose “Book Spine Poetry.” This form of poetry involves selecting book titles and then arranging them so their spine forms a unique poem from the top down. Students had to thoughtfully select titles and arrange them to make their poem."It’s amazing how changing the order of the titles completely changed their poem!," a school spokesperson said. "They were very creative and proud of their work, which is on display in UHS Library."

Ulysses High School

Posted Wednesday, August 28, 2024 11:26 am

Special to the Ulysses News • USD 214

Book spine poetry is a type of found poetry that uses the titles of books to create a poem. The poet arranges books in a stack with the titles facing out, and each title becomes a line in the poem. The poem can be any length, style, or emotion, and it often doesn't rhyme or follow a specific structure. The poet can use their favorite titles or ones they haven't read yet.

Here are some steps for creating book spine poetry:

1. Choose books

Browse book spines and select one or two that interest you.

2. Find more books

Select additional spines that complement your first choice, and stop when you have 6–8 books.

3. Experiment with combinations

Start playing with the order of the books, swapping them around, and trying different combinations. You can treat the poem like a puzzle and see how changing the order changes the meaning.

4. Read it aloud

Read your poem to yourself or to someone else, and take a photo when it sounds right.