ABSTRACT
Many concrete poetry anthologies emphasised the global character of the movement, as seen not only in the titles but also in the geographic diversity of the authors they featured. With a poetry based on materiality, concretism aspired to transcend linguistic and national boundaries. Though important centres did develop in Germany, Switzerland and Brazil, the question remains as to what extent concretism was truly global. What was, for instance, its reach in North America, where many early anthologies appeared or circulated? Who were the concrete poets in the United States, Canada or Mexico? In her seminal anthology Concrete Poetry: A World View, Mary Ellen Solt mentions only a few names for Mexico and Canada and admits ‘it would be an exaggeration to speak of a concrete poetry movement in the United States.’ What factors played into concretism’s lukewarm reception in North America? Starting in the 1980s, however, we see a revival in these contexts, with young poets drawing inspiration from concretism long after its decline in other hotspots. In this chapter, I examine some questions related to the critical and creative reception of concretism in North America, delving into the reasons for its belated, yet enduring influence in those contexts.
