A review of the choices to be made in setting out a poem in print to ensure that the reader can access the work without clutter or distraction, and specifically how to present haiku.

1. Poetry on the page
Laying out a poem for print
Martin Locock
Carreg Ffylfan Press

2. Introduction
• The task of the designer is to create the right
conditions for reading
• Poetry relies on attention to every word
• Readers need to slow down and savour
• The text needs space
• Nobody notices good design
• Readers can absorb the text directly without
distraction

3. Traditional layout
• The title is emphasised (all capitals, larger
font or bold)
• The title is centred on the page
• The text is left aligned
• The left margin for the text is brought in so
that the longest line is roughly centred

4. The title of the poem
This is line one
And this is line two
This is line three
And this is another line, longer

5. Punctuation
• Punctuation is the poet’s choice, not the
publisher’s
• Traditional layout is a a capital letter for
start of each line and a comma or full stop
at the end
• Overuse of commas can make the text
cluttered

6. Contemporary layout
• Title and all lines left aligned
• Title emphasised by bold
• Left margin at edge of print area

7. The title of the poem
This is line one
And this is line two
This is line three
And this is another line, longer

8. Advantages of traditional layout
• Plenty of white space
• Looks neat

9. Advantages of contemporary layout
• Standard template applied to all pages -
quicker to set up
• Suits informality of content

10. A special case: haiku
• Very short forms can look lost in the top
left corner of a page
• More than one can be fitted on a page
Possible layouts: columns, or alternating
columns

11. This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three

12. This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three

13. This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three

14. This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three
This is the line one
And this is now the line two
And this is line three

15. Tips for designers
• Look at a range of current and classic
poetry collections
• Consider the cultural implications of
typefaces and suitability for the work
• Give each poem its own page

16. Any queries
Martin Locock
mlocock@gmail.com