Day 30 ~ “Free Verse Poems” about family history for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

OK, so today is the LAST day of #NationalPoetryMonth ~ so, so sad, BUT – you shouldn’t stop writing poetry – I hope this little journey has shown you that you CAN write ALL KINDS of poetry.

I have one friend who wrote her journal entry each day last year as a little poem or one sort or
another. Very cute idea.

As I said – today I thought it would be fun to create a poem about something or someone that has to do with your family history – you choose. If that doesn’t resonate with you – just write about whatever comes to mind. AND, today, YOU CHOOSE the poetry form you wish to use – any we have tried out or just do one in free verse.

I thought I would address (in the simplest of terms) the difference between “blank verse” and “free verse” and you’ll see why I am suggesting you use “free verse” if you don’t want to use a previous poetry form.

Blank Verse is generally unrhymed verse BUT it has a rather detailed fixed metrical pattern. I don’t plan to go into that today. Whereas Free Verse is more random, with NO fixed metrical pattern of any kind and no need to rhyme although you are welcome to and it doesn’t need to be any systematic pattern of rhyming if you even choose to use rhyme – no need to count syllables or to worry about much of anything – just let it come. But free verse is actually tricky to make it flow, but once you get it just how you want it – you will be most happy with it.

A couple of other things: I’m currently writing a book, “Writing Poetry, Step by Step.” I hope to be able to have it published within the next 30-60 days – when it’s ready – I’ll post the links to it here on my blog and elsewhere on social media ~ please watch for it. This has been fun – be sure to check back next year. 

Since I’m mired in schoolwork of my own (taking a couple of college English classes this semester), I don’t have time to prepare my own free verse poem for today – when I finally get around to it – I’ll come back and add it in, but that could be weeks away. So, just go ahead and take the reins ~ YOUR poem, YOUR way on our very last day!! Cheers!! I’d love your feedback on what this month has meant to you – feel free to leave such comments here on the blog. Thanks!!!!

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or you FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work. 

Day 29 ~ “Rhyming Poems” with an ‘A-B-A-B rhyme scheme’ for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

OK, second to last day ~ for those of you who LOVE rhyming poems ~ this is your lucky day!

There are NUMEROUS patterns to rhyming poems, the use of end rhymes where the last sound of the end word in one line of poetry rhyming with the last sound of the end word in another line of poetry.

Here’s a couple of FREE resources you can use to find rhyming words – just type in the word in the box, click and poof ~ a rhyming word appears:

Rhyming Dictionary

RhymeZone 

Today we are going to use the most common rhyming scheme:

a – b – a – b

This is where the words at the end of the first and third lines rhyme and the words at the end of the second and fourth line rhyme. 

You should also try to keep the meters of lines ‘a’ the same as each other and the meters of line ‘b’ the same as each other. This can be done by counting syllables. 

Here’s an example of a rhyming poem with an A-B-A-B scheme written by Lousia May Alcott (it’s in the Public Domain – so I can use it here). 

To One Who Teaches Me
    by Louisa May Alcott 
To one who teaches me               (A)
The sweetness and the beauty     (B)
Of doing faithfully                        (A)
And cheerfully my duty."             (B)     

And here’s on that I wrote ~ just for fun:

In this little 4 line example I made up, you can see the end words in the first and third lines rhyme and they both lines have 5 beats (5 syllables). The end words in the second and fourth lines rhyme and they both lines have 6 beats (6 syllables). 
 

I went to the store                    (A)
To buy a loaf of bread.              (B)
I found something more            (A)
“So typical,” I said.                   (B)

                     © Stephanie Abney 2011            (Seems silly to copyright such a simple little sample verse but there you have it) 

You can just do four lines or you can create a longer poem by making several stanzas of four lines each, always rhyming lines one and three as well as lines two and four.

Also, note that often times the very last stanza can vary, or not, but all previous stanzas should follow the pattern.

Just a heads up: for tomorrow, our last day – be thinking of some of your great family stories – we will base our last poem on family history.

If you need some ideas ~ TODAY IS ARBOR DAY - perhaps a rhyming poem about trees would be in order? Up to you!! Cheers!!

OK, off you go – rhyme away!!

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or you FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.

Day 28 - “Poetweet” for “30 Poems in 30 Days" #NationalPoetryMonth

Ever heard of a "Poetweet?" 

"I think that I shall never meet / A poem lovely as a Tweet..."  (to paraphrase Joyce Kilmer)

 

Short and Simple: "Poetweet" 

(AND VERY TRICKY)!!

Since this is getting posted a little later than usual today – let’s do something SHORT – however, don’t assume it’s all that easy!! You’ll see.

Our ever-changing digital age continues to create new modes of communication. Have you heard of “poetweets” yet? It you are on Twitter then you may have, but if you haven’t ventured into “Twitter Land” yet, then it might be new to you.

What I love about limited poetry (those that are specific as to the number of words or syllables you can you use) is that they force us to “tighten things up.” The surprising thing is that, usually, when you manage to say what you mean with fewer words, it packs a lot more power. 

According to the “Urban Dictionary” a “poetweet” is a form of poetry which consists of exactly 140 characters. There is no reference to rhyme or rhythm, only 140 characters exactly. All words must be spelled out, no short cuts such as "ur" for "you are" or "b4" for "before." And definitely no "lol"! Normal contractions are allowed.

And remember: Every single letter, space, punctuation mark and/or number COUNTS as a “character” in this 140 character “poem” called a “poetweet”

Here’s the example of a poetweet offered in the “Urban Dictionary”: Of all the sights I see, there is none so beautiful as your shadow. Knowing you're near, and the sun is shining is enough for me. Beautiful. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=poetweet

It would be fun to come up with one and then share it on Twitter ~ if you share this on Twitter you may use a backslash to indicate a new line. But, again, REMEMBER that each backslash also counts as a character.

                      

Here’s my attempt for 2016:

#NationalPoetryMonth has been such fun/ It’s hard to believe it’s nearly done/ We’ve made new friends; written new poems/ Get in the zone

EXACTLY 140 characters (including spaces, etc.) ~ in fact, I have already tweeted it:

https://twitter.com/AbneyAuthor/status/725733489635520512

 

The TRICKIEST part is getting 140 characters (INCLUDING spaces) EXACTLY – have fun!! See ya’ tomorrow. Our journey through “National Poetry Month” is coming to an end. So, what can you come up with today?

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright for to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or you FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work. 

Day 27 ~ “Diatelle Poem” for 30 Poems in 30 Days" #NationalPoetryMonth

Okay – this poetry challenge is almost over. It’s been lots of fun. I hope you have been enjoying yourself. I think I’ve been pretty “easy” on ya’ll. Right? I didn’t go into depth on things like poetic feet: Iamb, Trochee, Dactyl, or Anapest, or the difference between blank verse and free verse or lengthy poems, etc. I’ve stayed pretty much with somewhat simple poems that have a few conditions to them and if you follow the pattern you can create some pretty amazing poetry (and many of you have done so). 

HOWEVER, today will be considerably more tricky – it’s still all about counting syllables (remember, there IS a syllable counter online if you need it) and about rhyming CERTAIN lines SPECIFICALLY with other lines. 

If you DON’T follow it precisely, you won’t get the desired result – you’ll get a poem, no doubt, just not a “Diatelle Poem” which is today’s poetry form. It’s a fairly new form created by Bradley Vrooman. 

So since I haven’t even attempted this form yet, I’m using his poem as an example. I hope to get back to add in one or two of my own. In the meantime, let’s see what you come up with ~ here are the details: 

It’ looks best if you can center it – kind of has a diamond shape because of the order of the syllable count, which is: 1-2-3-4-6-8-10-12-10-8-6-4-3-2-1,

And it has a VERY specific rhyming pattern – every line that ends with letter A pattern – needs to rhyme with each other. The same for letters B and C ~ here is the pattern to follow: A-B-B-C-B-C-C-A-C-C-B-C-B-B- A

So, you can see it will be a bit trickier than those we have done in the past – but I bet it’s one you haven’t heard of before – that’s what I was going for – something new.

I created a little pattern box to help you sort it all out – see below – if you are on your phone or a small device - it could be really difficult to see or figure this out - hope you can be on a regular computer screen for this one.

Bradley Vrooman’s Example: Smooth Sailing                         Walk (Syllable count 1 - rhyme: a)  With me (2 - b) And simply (3 - b) With arms around (4 - c) Each other's waist, happy (6 - b) Moving about the day, as bound (8 - c) As ever can be, with true love abound (10 - c) lay with me all day and all night, my world you rock (12 - a)   Passion’s fire, a desire induced by sound (10 - c) Pure as light, each spectrum surround (8 - c) Hypnotized as can be (6 - b) Love that’s profound (4 - c) Spoken free (3 - b) With me (2 - b) Talk(1 - a)  © written by Bradley Vrooman

Diatelle Poetry ~ match your ending rhyming words with the same color (gray columns are because NONE of the lines end in that number of syllables).

		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1	A
2	B
3	B
4	C
6	B
8	C
10	C
12	A
10	C
8	C
6	B
4	C
3	B
2	B
1	A

If you are looking for a little motivation, today is: National Little Pampered Dog Day and National Tell a Story Day among other “days” – but write whatever comes to mind. It will be great!! Don’t wimp out on me just because this one is a tad tricky ~ GOOD LUCK!! Whatcha’ got?

PLEASE REMEMBER ~ any poetry found on this blog, written by me, is my personal property and may not be used without my permission, other than sharing it as an example in a lesson or to read it to someone. The same goes for any poems that are shared in the comments of this blog or elsewhere online as a result of this challenge. They are the creative property of the person who writes them. These poems are their original work and no one may use them without their permission. It is understood that they own the copyright to them as soon as they post them. Thanks so much!

Also, if you choose to post your poems on your own blog ~ that’s awesome. But PLEASE don’t just copy and paste my daily instructions, but rather post your poem on your blog or you FB wall or wherever AND LINK BACK TO THIS BLOG POST for others to come here to read the instructions. I’ve spent considerable time researching the poetry forms and writing them up to share with you. Thanks for respecting my work.