Poetry offers a different way into stories

Poetry and journalism seem to be opposite forms of writing — one is creative and fabricated; the other sticks to facts. But there is some cross over between the two.

Ezra Pound wrote, “Poetry is news that stays news.” So can language remain newsworthy?

Here are a few interesting examples of news and poetry overlapping:

• Times Haiku: The New York Times has developed an algorithm that automatically detects poetry hidden in the paper’s front page. The best ones are published on this Tumblr.
• L.A. Times Haiku: This Twitter handle offers L.A. Times headlines in haiku form.
• American Life in Poetry: While not necessarily haikus, this project by Ted Kooser, the U.S. poet laureate from 2004-2006, offered newspapers a free weekly column featuring contemporary American poems.

These news haikus and Kooser’s project highlight great literary moments with articles and offer readers a different way into stories. And some of them are just beautiful.

Journalists and poets can learn from each other. Some poets write documentary-style poems about world events and the human condition, and journalists often use stylistic techniques to convey emotion, perspective and details to a reader, according to an article on the intersection of poetry and journalism in The Huffington Post. Ultimately, both rely on having someone on the other end read their words.

—Marlena Chertock