Lost in the Internet, Grounded in Poetry

What are the affects of the online poetry journal format on its readers and on its content? What type of readership is gained or lost by placing poetry online? How can the web positively push the experience of a poem? How does the format of the internet negatively affect the visual experience of poetry? What is the experience of reading an established poetry journal versus a more fringe publication? How does the organization of the internet and its overwhelming amass of information affect the reading process? How does the process of finding an online publication affect its contents? How does the context of the internet influence online publications? Does it? Although I traditionally prefer to read poetry in a tangible format, I am incredibly intrigued by the growth and development of the online publication. Ranging from the unbelievable accessibility of the medium, to the great potential for innovation in the formatting of new works, I think that online poetry publications are an arena of poetry where a lot of interesting activity and development is taking place. At the moment, I feel very naïve and inexperienced when exploring this specific literary branch. There are so many different publications, ranging from the polished, professional, and respected, to the shoddy, independent and sometimes spunky lesser known poetry websites. As I try to deal with and mentally organize this tangled network of literary art, I am curious to see how my reading experienced is sculpted and influenced by the context of the internet. http://ronsilliman.blogspot.com/ http://www.corpse.org/ http://www.litline.org/links/onlinejournals.html#E