Style of poetry that plays with typographic rivers?

Question

> In typography, rivers, or rivers of white, are gaps in typesetting, which appear to run through a paragraph of text, due to a coincidental alignment of spaces. > (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_(typography)) I was looking for examples of poetry that took advantage of this kind of phenomenon in typography. But in general, one could argue that any poem with unusual text alignment or disposition plays with typography, so to narrow it down I'd specify that the text: - every line must be aligned left or justified - must preserve its layout in (or be designed specifically for) `monospaced` typefaces Is there a general category for this kind of work? I'm struggling to find a single example of such text, so it would help me to narrow down my search.

Answer 1

"Rivers" are simply a typographical technique to make sure newspaper readers do not "escape" the page that the editors want them to read.

"Rivers" don't really apply to poetry at all. Poetry, spacing, different margins, etc. relate to the rhythm and meaning the writer wants her/his poem to have.

Examine some poets that do this and you will be able to apply it to your own work.