Algorithmic Poetry¶

Written 2025-02-14, published 2025-03-26 because I am very productive

Me and my friends Laura and Sophie meet up once a week to share art and literature. On the week of 2025-02-14, the topic was algorithmic poetry, where you come up with a format, and a poem that follows said format. Unfortunately, I took “algorithmic” too seriously.

Here’s mine:

Format¶

if (noun.be_predicate()) {
    verb(noun);
}

while (noun.be_predicate()) {
    wildcard(noun);
}

for (
    adjective noun be predicate;
    noun.verb_wildcard(adjective);
    verb(possessive.noun)
) {
    // wildcard, any # of words
    noun.verb(noun);
}

Rules¶

• “noun” includes noun phrases and pronouns
• “verb” includes verb phrases and inflections of “be”
• “wildcard” is a catchall for any word or phrase
• Words in a phrase can be concatenated with underscores
• Your code does not need to compile
• Rhyming is optional but encouraged

Exceptions¶

• If you use “this” as a noun and a dot follows it in the format, replace the dot with -> (“this” is a C++ keyword almost always followed by ->)

Poem 1¶

if (i.am_dead()) {
    bury(me);
}

while (snow.is_falling()) {
    in_the(sea);
}

for (
    glorious days are gone;
    i.am_no_longer(strong);
    cover(my.traces)
) {
    // before
    they.come_for(thee);
}

Poem 2¶

if (you.are_happy()) {
    stomp(your_feet);
}

while (bees.are_flying()) {
    drop(the_beat);
}

for (
    crazy shit is happening;
    this->makes_no(sense);
    guess(my.life)
) {
    // is a circus and the
    clowns.drive(a_mercedes_benz);
}