Can the shape, color and design of the words make a difference in the meaning of the words or the message of the words? Many people spend meticulous time debating and worrying about these components with words. This is an example of how the design of the words can make a difference in the effect of the message.
This poem could have gotten the message across without the shape of the words but it is much more effective with the shape because not only are you reading the words but also seeing the words. There are more examples of this concept and it can be very effective use of images with words in a more obvious way than others.
This type of imagery is rather effective in comics, children's books and poetry because most of those are suppose to be more words than images. Poets for years have been composing their poems in images to convey the overlying story of their writing. The image above illustrates the man in the poem so the reader will be thinking about the man throughout the poem. This can also be an effective way of subtly pointing out something that may not be as obvious in the text. This would be a great example of how words and images use each other to portray ideas that may be hidden without the help of the other.
