dirty pretty

Dirty pretty is a form of poetry which utilizes punctuation as a way of emphasizing words. Contrary to what many believe, it is NOT just random punctuation. It is about the calligraphy of words, using visuals to impact on the way the poem/emotions are seen and read. Although the content of dirty pretty poems varies, most pertain to drugs, sex, eating disorders, etc. Dirty pretty is a poetic art, and not everyone can master it. Many over-punctuate, making the poem hard to read and losing the true meaning of the piece.

Some truly great dirty pretty poets:
(found on allpoetry.com)
sinnocence
behind.blue.eyes
x Empathic Rose x
dancing marionette
Melicious--x
Queen of Anonymity
(bear in mind that these poets write in other forms too)

Normal poetic stanza:
He kisses me so slowly,
His lips so soft against mine.
But then he turns and walks away,
And I weep at our final goodbye.

In dirty pretty format:
He {k i s s e s} me so
s
l
o
w
l
y
His.lips.so.soft.against.mine

But then he turns
&& w a l k s . a w a y
&& I <<| weep |>> at our final
::::::: g.o.o.d.b.y.e ::::::::

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