Crosspoetic

Crosspoetic is a term used to describe a method or practice in contemporary poetry that emphasizes crossing linguistic, cultural, and formal boundaries. It typically involves hybridity across languages, genres, and media, aiming to create multidisciplinary or plurilingual poetic experiences.

Noted as a neologism in 21st-century literary discourse, crosspoetic is often associated with collaborative writing practices, where poets contribute distinct voices or languages to a single sequence. It also encompasses the blending of traditional forms with free verse, prose poetry, and digital or performative dimensions.

Common features include polyglot text, juxtaposition of different cultural perspectives, intertextuality, and a compositional reflex to translate, interpret, or reframe others' voices. Works may be published as crosspoems or cross-poem cycles, sometimes presented as multimedia pieces integrating audio or video components. The approach frequently prioritizes process-oriented methods such as collective authorship, iterative revision, and cross-cultural consultation.

In practice, crosspoetic projects appear in independent presses, online journals, and experimental festivals. Critics praise the approach for expanding representation, encouraging cross-cultural discourse, and challenging conventional fences of genre and language. Critics, however, caution that the complexity and multilingualism can affect accessibility and require reader investment.

See also: multilingual poetry, cross-genre poetry, collaborative poetry, digital poetry.