National Poetry Month - Let's Write Poetry

Hopefully you know that April is “National Poetry Month” and last year I described a poetry form, posted an example and gave you a challenge to write your own. We had so much fun so it. I hope you fill your month with poetry but I may not post a poetry challenge every day this time. You can always go back to the April posts from 2011 for ideas if you want to. Life is so busy around here these days that it's hard to say how many posts I'll get to this month. But, it's all good!! 

Try to write a poem a day -- (or even just a thought, a blog, whatever) - but there are SO MANY KINDS OF POETRY out there, that we could easily write a DIFFERENT style of poem each day. I’ve done this with my creative writing students and it was a blast! It was amazing to see what they came up with. 

I thought it might be fun to post any poems I come up with here on my blog - you are welcome to do the same in the comments (or fire up your own blog)! Everyone should remember common courtesy - if someone writes something/anything - THEY ALSO OWN THE COPYRIGHT TO IT THE MOMENT THEY WRITE IT - so don't go using something you read here that someone else has written unless you give them proper recognition (and better yet, seek their permission to use it). Always include the name of the author of any story, poem, blog post or anything that you share. Thanks. [Drives me crazy when I read something wonderful that is flying through everyone's email and no one bothered to include the author's name]. :)

Feel free to share your creations. You might really surprise yourself!!

FYI ~ do a search and find out what’s happening in your neck of the woods or simply, what’s happening online.

Since I live in AZ ~ this one interests me (although it’s the same weekend as our family reunion so I can’t go but some of you other AZ folks might make it):

http://www.tucsonpoetryfestival.org/2012-festival/

I’ll feature other poets and their blogs and/or websites as we go along and if you just want some basic info or some fun ideas and resources on National Poetry Month, go here:

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41

So, this will be fun!!! WHO'S IN????

Let’s write a couplet:  Let’s start with a couplet like we did last year just because it’s late and they are short and sweet. Here is the form for a couplet:

A couplet is a two-lined verse. Both lines rhyme and usually have a rhythm to them.
Try expressing your complete thought in two mid-sized poetic lines. The last words should rhyme. It can be spiritual or silly – couplets are great to write for children or with children.

It is possible to string a bunch of couplets together to create a longer poem, but for our first day – just try one 2-line couplet.

Here’s a couple that I wrote as an example: 

Writing this little assignment
Puts my nose out of alignment.
                               © 2011 by Stephanie Abney

Turning, twirling, all around,

The music stops and we sit down.

                               © 2012 by Stephanie Abney

Did you think of a couplet? Just look around and think on an object or an emotion and give it a shot!! YOUR TURN!!!!