For those who knew me before Critical Lit Games will know that I’ve loved writing and performing poetry. It’s a way for me to get thoughts out in writing without having to necessarily frame it in the same way as I would for prose like short stories or novellas (or plays, for that matter). Critical Lit Games was initially a way of blending text based, poetry and immersive mediums together – I then developed (and am still developing as we speak) an AR Gamebook, going back to prose and gaming elements.

Since Lens Studio came out, the idea of creating quick literary experiences really appealed to me. With something as popular as Snapchat, these codes could be easily distributed and experienced in a short period of time. It also led me to think of what AR really is and how poetry could benefit from it.

 

From someone who has published poetry online and in book form, as well as performing spoken word, it’s interesting to see where AR could fit within this spectrum of form. I’m all for poetry shared in a myriad of ways – print books, Instagram, physical and online stages, brick walls, napkins etc. and it’s about finding the strength of the medium to really unlock its unique potential.

So… long story short. AR Poetry can be a new form of framing.

Performance strives in the present. When we are physically within the space, you drink in the atmosphere; experiencing the senses first hand (as much as we technically can) – sights, sounds, touch, smells. There is a commitment, an investment to go to a live performance (especially nowadays) and this is the payoff. There is a reason where live events will be timeless and always a part of our lives, no matter what technology we have.

Recorded poetry, in video and book form, is about preservation. You can connect to someone in the past, whether it’s from a few hours ago to centuries ago. You can savour the words over and over again as they were laid down. It is posterity, a legacy, which found its home in you.

Augmented reality poetry can thrive in its framing. It creates meaning in its attachment to the surrounding area. For example, I wrote a poem for a daily commute to be used on someone’s route to work, school or college – seeing the journey in a new way. I wrote a poem for the snow (another form of augmented reality) It provides a commentary based on your experience in the present, but recorded in the past. You can embody the words; walk through them, reach out and touch them, sit down next to them. I would love to see people with the snap code  film it in their life, seeing how the same frame can co-exist in so many realities. Maybe it’s a hybrid form?

Another thing I’m working on is the audio input: where the reading/recording can activate on proximity to the words. Maybe there can be a sense of participation on the receiver’s end, where they can “rearrange” the poem in terms of voice?

There’s a lot to think about and work out – that’s why I love it so much!

Feel free to share your thoughts with me – I’d love a discussion on this! I have made a new Instagram for my AR Poetry, so you can try out the Snapcodes there!

Of course, there’s always my Snapchat – search for @criticallitgames!

Suzie

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