Poetry Writing: Day 2

Poems can be a reflection--almost like a memoir or personal essay. Watch these performances of spoken word poetry and notice how the speakers reflect on their lives, but also speak powerful truth that reminds us, as listeners, of something we need to hear or may have forgotten...

Button Poetry #1
Button Poetry #2
Button Poetry #3

Poems should have a structure. They look different sitting on a page. They are not written like prose is written. They are special. However, they should be written using punctuation. Paragraphs in poems are called stanzas. When we change the topic or scene, we can start a new stanza. 

Poems are written using line breaks. Line breaks are important--because they mean something in a poem. A long line slows the pace of your poem. A short line speeds up the pace of your poem.

Structure: Dice poem exercise... Get ready to write. Follow these rules:

• Select a subject from your journal list. Or, since you're going to use dice, choose one of these themes: chance or fate, gambling, randomness, something unpredictable, games, probability, etc.
• Select 2 dice from the pile.
• Roll both dice to determine the # of lines for your poem.
• As you write each line, roll both dice to determine the number of words in each line of the poem.
• Write that poem in your journal for participation credit.

Take 10 minutes to do this. If you like your drafts from your journal, type up your work and print the file next door. Turn it in to me to read and I'll place the draft in your writing portfolio.

If you finish early, watch this video about advice writing poetry and jot down advice you want to remember in your journal (this is participation credit for your journal--and you may learn something!) Please use headphones, if you have them:

• What Makes a Poem (5 min.)

Poem Drafts for your Journal (write as many drafts as you can in your journal. You may repeat prompts as you'd like...)

Poem starters - Write a poem about:

• No one knows about... (use this opening line to write a poem that involves something or several things that someone doesn't know about you--or the speaker/narrator of the poem...)
• Three wishes (perhaps one wish per stanza; what would you wish for and why? Past wishes, wishes that came true, etc.) 
• Traveling to a special place or writing about going to a special place you visited when you were younger or in trouble, etc.
• Getting a haircut or writing about your first haircut experience; write about your first operation or visit to the hospital, etc.
• A scientific fact (real or invented) that fascinates you [Use scientific vocabulary to describe ordinary human activities, etc.]
• An insect that got into your home or an insect that you studied or observed in a particular place/time
• The sound of a specific language (a time you heard a new word or a different language)
• Death (the time you first became aware of death or mortality or loss)
• The number 3 (or your favorite #)
• The ocean (recall your first visit there, or use the ocean as a symbol for conflict in a human life)
• Missing someone 
• Something that makes you angry
• The ups and downs of love
• The view out of your window or your backyard or a room in your house
• City lights at night (lights in the morning or during a quiet rainstorm or snowfall)
• A particular work of art (ekphrastic poetry—find a picture and describe it or how you feel viewing it)
• Having a superpower (If I could…; or I’ll be…, etc.)
• Being in an airplane or on a train or on horseback or a bike (flying or riding for the first time)
• Playing a sport
• A shadow
• A person transformed into an animal or object (You are a…; describe a person as an animal or object, etc.)

HOMEWORK: Complete your poem drafts. Choose one to share with us next class. Otherwise, none.