1970s
response to traditional American poetry and forms
Influences:
- Black Mountain
- New York
associated with Leftist politics
magazines
- This
- L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E
language dictates meaning rather than the other way around
Language poetry also seeks to involve the reader in the text
placing importance on reader participation in the construction of meaning
By breaking up poetic language, the poet is requiring the reader to find a new way to approach the text.