Concrete Poetry in Portugal Experimentalism and Intermediality

Concrete poetry does not constitute an organized movement in Portugal. Instead, one must consider a range of contemporary Portuguese poetic experimentations achieved by several poets which come close, at a given point in time, to the aesthetics of concretism. This distinctive feature of the Portuguese context is outlined in this article in a comparative perspective, situating the poetics and politics of experimentalism within the international context of concrete poetry, but stressing specific aspects of the critical, historical and political Portuguese context. At the same time, the concrete tendency of experimental poetry points to the importance of literary and communication theories, as semiotics, information theory, and others provide background to understanding individual poems and manifestoes of the poets mentioned within. Finally, the article takes into consideration the fact that concrete poetry fits in larger poetic discourses, ultimately forcing the importance of poetic discourse and literary practices for a better understanding of our surrounding world and culture.