Contextual Poetry

A New Art Form

developed by Dr. Thea Iberall

“The bringing together of history, myth and poetry makes a truly satisfying whole. I thought I’d be more intrigued with the poems than the context, but, in fact, I found them equally compelling….I don’t see a lot of poetry which uses history and myth in as detailed a way as she does. It’s difficult to get away with…but Thea does it well.” -Holly Prado, poet

There is a boundary between the science and the arts, between history and the present. As we move from an education steeped in classical knowledge and to books such as “Spoonfed Stuff for Dummies”, what will happen to thousands years of accumulated history, science, philosophy, and theology? Our digital libraries will soon be bursting at the seams, yet we live in a world of trivia and instantaneous solutions: the useless cultural tidbits of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”, fast-food restaurants, and a pill for every problem. We need knowledge in our lives, for ourselves as well as for future generations. But if we don't find a way to bring it in coherently, we will stumble over anything that takes too long to learn or find with our search engines. Science writers and historians try to explain the past and the discoveries of scientists, but is there a way to go beyond explanation and achieve a true dialog? How can you, as a poet, participate in the quest for wisdom and provide insights into human life against a backdrop of history?

Contextual poetry integrates the knowledge of multidisciplinary science and history with the insights and language of poetry. A contextual poem could consist of a poem along with an essay on the deep knowledge of the poem.

The rules of contextual poetry are simple:

a)    the context is not an explanation, but a jumping off point for a dialogue of integration,

b)    the context and poem together provide insights,

c)    they should be able to stand alone, but resonate with each other,

d)    scientific and historical references should be cited, and

e)    let experts help evolve the context.

CONTEXTUAL POETRY WORKSHOP WITH DR. THEA IBERALL

CONTEXTUAL POETRY blends the boundaries between the arts and the sciences in order to create a cohesiveness of these traditionally polar subjects. The writing and reading of Contextual Poetry promotes the investigation and discovery of how the Arts and the Sciences enrich each other.

If you would like to participate in a contextual poetry workshop, please contact Thea to find out when the next one is.

thea@iberall.com

(562) 438-1471