Definition of calligram - What it is, Meaning and Concept

Before entering fully into the definition of the term calligram, it is necessary to proceed to know its etymological origin.In this case, we can determine that it has its origin in the Greek.And it is that it is the sum of two components of said language:-The adjective "kallos", which can be translated as "beautiful".-The verb "graphein", which is synonymous with "write".-The suffix "-ma", which is used to indicate the result of the action.

Precisely because of that, calligraphy can be translated as “beautiful writing.”

The term calligram refers to a text that, thanks to the organization of the letters , is also constituted as a drawing .Calligrams, in this way, usually combine poetry with the graphic representation of figures linked to the theme of the verses.

It can be said that calligrams are part of the visual poetry .In this case, the words create an image that expresses, visually, what the words themselves they mention.

Suppose a poet writes about a lion .To develop a calligraphy, he will have to display the words of his verses so that, visually, they create the image of one of these animals .In other words: when you write your poem on paper, you will have to draw the figure of a lion with the verses.This will generate a calligraphy.

The same thing will have to be done by those who intend to form a calligraphy related to a flower .First, you will have to think about the contents in this regard: it may be a poem, a reflection or even single words.these contents on a paper or a screen, you must organize them so that they constitute the drawing of a flower, creating the calligraphy in question.

There are currently many teachers who do not hesitate to make use of calligrams in class with the clear objective that their students begin to be interested in poetry in such a surprising and visual way.

Throughout the history many writers stood out for their calligrams.One of the most important was Guillaume Apollinaire , a French poet born in 1880 and died in 1918 .Spanish Gerardo Diego , the Cuban Guillermo Cabrera Infante , the Chilean Vicente Huidobro and the Argentine Oliverio Girondo are other prominent calligraphy authors.

However, that does not mean that we also consider other important and illustrious authors who also used and regularly use the calligraphy.This would be the case of the Catalan poet Joan Salvat-Passasseit (1894-1924), which became in a true reference in that sense within his autonomous community.Precisely one of his works can be read and discovered in a significant building of the famous Paseo del Born in Barcelona.

In the same way, we cannot forget of the existence of the Caligrama Publishing House.This is a personalized publication stamp of Penguin Random House Editorial Group that began its journey around the year 2014.

It is aimed primarily at authors who are committed to promoting their literary career and who decide to do it by self-publishing the work they own.