Poetry Comics: A Cartooniverse of Poems

by Dave Morice

Dave Morice's Poetry Comics offers literary mavens and schoolchildren alike a look at the canon in a new and hilarious light. This anthology brings together the best hits from Morice's two previous cartoon compendiums with such recent animations as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, John Ashbery's "Some Trees," and Marianne Moore's "Poetry." Other comics in the book include William Shakespeare's The Tempest; Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess"; Emily Dickinson's "Poem 303"; Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass; Langston Hughes's Montage of a Dream Deferred, Ezra Pound's "In a Station at the Metro"; and Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

In addition to Morice's kaleidoscopic retinue of cartoons, the book features a brief history of poetry comics as well as a step-by-step guide to making poetry comics at home or in the classroom.

Genres: Poetry, Graphic Novels, Comics

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gosh, when I think of the amount of time I spent pouring over this collection as an adolescent, it's a little shocking that I've only added it to my goodreads shelves at this late date. I can't say for sure if it added anything to my appreciation of poetry (which I have never at any point in my life read on a regular basis, outside of school, anyway), but I did inadvertently memorize Kubla Khan. Another lasting effect is that I can't read or think of Ben Johnson's "Drink to me only with thine eyes" without hearing it as a dialogue (as brilliantly illustrated on the book's cover), but I'm not sure if that's a problem.

[Printable Tire · Rating 4 out of 5]

By their very nature these comic-poetry experimental pop art combinations are hit or miss, sometimes obfuscating the point of the poem entirely, sometimes offering a fresh interpretation. I don't think the point of them is to really capture the poet's intent but to "use" poetry for a new, creative means of expression. I enjoyed the variety of styles here, and the concept as a whole, I think, is a great idea. The most evocative piece (though perhaps not my favorite) might be the cut-up version of "The Wasteland."

<(Somewhat tangentially maybe I also learned I like some poems. I've started memorizing a few I found in here, really thinking about what they're meaning, they're visualizing. I don't know why but I feel myself being drawn slowly to poetry, and probably this book was the gateway drug. I think as the world moves faster and more superficially forward, what I've always found so hard to concentrate on, so difficult to not be distracted from, I find myself now desiring, to slow me down, to center myself, to preserve my memory.)>

[Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

These classic poems are brought to life with very expressive creativity. I especially liked the appendix on How to Make Poety Comics. Very informative on how to make your own poetry comics.

[Sarah-Anne]

Dave Morice's Poetry Comics offers literary mavens and schoolchildren alike a look at the canon in a new and hilarious light. This anthology brings together the best hits from Morice's two previous cartoon compendiums with such recent animations as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven, John Ashbery's "Some Trees," and Marianne Moore's "Poetry." Other comics in the book include William Shakespeare's The Tempest; Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess"; Emily Dickinson's "Poem 303"; Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass; Langston Hughes's Montage of a Dream Deferred, Ezra Pound's "In a Station at the Metro"; and Allen Ginsberg's Howl.

In addition to Morice's kaleidoscopic retinue of cartoons, the book features a brief history of poetry comics as well as a step-by-step guide to making poetry comics at home or in the classroom.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first read this book I thought it was . .. . nice, and it was visually . . . nice, pleasant, and maybe something that would enhance the typically arduous experience that young people have with poetry. Most people hate poetry. So when I saw this I thought: fun, illustrated poems, often humorous, and all that's good, it's okay. Something that could be used in schools to help students visualize what is going on in the poems.

Re-reading it now as part of a project to explore a relatively new experimental category of comics, poetry comics, I think that while this book may be light and pedagogically useful for some kids, it is not ambitious or particularly interesting for students of comics or poetry. But it's nice, and fun.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just really didn't like this book, but I guess there's not a great reason why. I only liked a few of the cartoons; mostly, I just didn't understand them. I ended up skimming the last bit. Eh, whatever. I don't care.