DAY 30 ~ How to Write a "Color Poem" for “30 Poems in 30 Days" #NationalPoetryMonth

This is our last day for National Poetry Month ~ I hope you all have had as much fun as I have. Today, let’s do a simple little poetic form ~ a “COLOR POEM.” There are actually several ways to write a color poem if you care to Google it but for our purposes we are going to follow this one. It’s sweet and simple. I like it because it has a metaphor and three similes and ya’ll know I am partial to using parts of speech when writing poetry. So here goes:

This poem is just four lines. So short and simple perhaps you will want to do several color poems using a different color each time.

REMEMBER:

A “metaphor” uses the word is. It’s a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to draw a comparison. It is not the same as a simile.

A “simile” uses the word like or as in order to make a comparison, whereas metaphors use is or are. So if you say “If I were” or “If you were” and named the thing (noun), it is a metaphor.

A metaphor: Your hair is golden flax.

A simile: Your hair is like golden flax.

Here is the pattern for our color poem:

Line 1: metaphor ~ what “feeling” does this color give you – call it that

Line 2: simile ~ example using a simile

Line 3: simile ~ another example using a simile

Line 4: simile ~ final example using a simile

And that’s as easy as it gets!!

And here is a VERY simple sample (did you like that little “alliteration?)

Blue is peace.

Like the end of a perfect day.

Like the smile of a newborn

As comforting as a downy quilt.

© 2017 Stephanie Abney

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 ~ How to Write a “Poetweet Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

Only two days left of poetry month!! Goodness!

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)!!

I’m not feeling well today, so 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”

AND for the purposes of this poetry form (such as it is, ha ha), you may NOT use less than 140 characters. It needs to be exact. (Spaces in between each letter, all punctuation, etc. COUNT as your 140 characters).

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 mine this year:

#NationalPoetryMonth has been such fun/ Hard to believe it’s nearly done/ Made new friends; written poems galore/ And now; I’m out the door

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

https://twitter.com/AbneyAuthor/status/858294531510255617     

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 28 ~ How to Write a “Clerihew Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

Let's have some FUN ~ ever heard of a Clerihew Poem? 

Well, they are FUNNY POEMS ABOUT PEOPLE YOU KNOW (Or not. You can write a clerihew poem about anyone ~ BUT, they ARE intended to be FUNNY 4-line poems about specific people).

A clerihew is a RHYMING poem that is four lines long, but no set beat or number of syllables to worry about.

The Clerihew poem takes its name from its creator, Edmund Clerihew Bentley, 20th century humorist and novelist.

It's a fun little poem about a PERSON, generally someone famous OR you can make it about someone you know. Often whimsical, it's meant to be funny (not rude-funny, but cute-funny).

Here’s what you do:

FOUR lines:

The FIRST line NAMES the person

* AND the endings of lines 1 and 2 need to rhyme with each other.

Then tell something fun about them and make the last line funny

* AND the endings of lines 3 and 4 need to rhyme with each other.

Remember, a clerihew poem is meant to be humorous.

My sweet, good husband works hard and plays hard and then crashes on the couch – we have DOZENS of photos of him asleep. I wrote this clerihew poem a few years ago, but I still love it and so I’ll share it as my example.

                          They say Jim Abney is one of the good ol’ boys,

                          To make him happy, just share your toys.

                          He likes to wrestle, laugh and leap,

                          But by afternoon, he falls asleep!

                                                  © 2011 Stephanie Abney

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 ~ “Poem in Your Pocket Day” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

TODAY is “National Poem in Your Pocket Day”

Here is a little background on this day, taken from “Days of the Year” website:

History of Poem In Your Pocket Day

“In 2002 the New York City Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education coordinated with the Mayor to create their own special commemoration for National Poetry Month, and it was through this effort that Poem In Your Pocket Day was born. Just 6 years later the Academy of American Poets trumpeted this holiday through all 50 states, encouraging the entire nation to carry a poem with them that inspired their hearts and called them to greatness, and then to share that poem with others. 2016 saw the League of Canadian Poets pick up the torch and spread it to America’s Northern Neighbor.”

And here are some ideas from “timeanddate.com” ~

Howto Celebrate?

Write out your favorite poem and keep it in your pocket so that you can share it with others.

Participate in local poetry readings and events to commemorate the day.

What about writing your own bit of poetry and sharing it with others?

If you have children, why not write out a small poem and put it in their lunch box as a surprise treat?

So, for today – you are on your own. No poetic form to follow. Just enjoy the day, however you wish. Many of my poetic friends actually have picked a poem and shared it with others throughout the day – one they wrote or one they especially love. Some have written a new poem just for this day. Write away to your heart’s content – any style poetry you wish or use today to READ some poetry, rather than write some. Maybe encourage a friend or family member to try one of the poetry forms we have used during this month and see what they come up with. Whatever works for you today, is great! Enjoy!! Cheers!!

(Only three days of Poetry Month left). Kind of sad, but I hope you have developed a new love of writing poetry and will revisit these poetic forms again and again and create many more poems. Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!!

Day 26 ~ How to Write a “Senses Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

You can have lots of fun with this poem and its variations. There is no need to worry about rhyming or counting syllables, although it does have other requirements (basically just to “fill in the blanks”) and it can be pulled together in several ways – try each of them, if you wish, or just choose one way to share your poem.

So first, everyone is familiar with the “FIVE SENSES” ~ sight, smell, hear, touch, and taste. 

But many have argued that there are SIX SENSES if you consider your mind ("I think") as one of the senses. 

Hence, we are writing a FIVE SENSES and/or SIX SENSES POEM today!! Cheers!!

Chose a topic and describe it using each of your six senses, one per line/

Here is a SIX SENSES format to follow, BUT feel free to rearrange the order the various senses you use to describe your object/topic.

1.  I see ____________________________

    2.  I smell ___________________________

    3.  I hear ___________________________

    4.  I feel (as in touch) __________________

    5.  I taste ____________________________ 

    6.  I think ____________________________

Now, if you want to concentrate on the FIVE SENSES – you can change “I see” to "It looks like," etc.

1. It looks like (instead of I see) _________________

2. It smells like _______________________________

3. It sounds like (instead of I hear) _______________ 

4. It feels like _________________________________

5. It tastes like ________________________________

So, you CAN just leave it like it is once you fill in the blanks (in any order using either five or six senses) and remove the numbers; you don’t need those. That will give you a great poem by just doing that.

OR you can remove most of the PRONOUNS, VERBS, and ARTICLES and get a new effect.

Think of a place that is special. Form an image in your mind of this place. Then complete the following statements.

Here’s my example, taken step-by-step.

(I grew up in southern California and would go to the beach every chance I got)  . . .

First – fill in the blanks:

1.  I see ______________   the breaking waves

2.  I smell _____________  the seaweed-tinged air

3.  I hear ______________  the seagulls squawking overhead

4.  I feel (as in touch) ____  the wet sand squishing between my toes

5.  I taste ______________  the salty ocean water

6.  I think ______________  I’m back in my childhood heaven

OK, so, if I remove the line numbers and get rid of the lines it turns out like this:

I see the breaking waves

I smell the seaweed-tinged air

I hear the seagulls squawking overhead

I feel the wet sand squishing between my toes

I taste the salty ocean water

I think I’m back in my childhood heaven

© 2017 Stephanie Abney

And that makes a nice poem BUT, if I remove most of the pronouns, verbs and articles, then I get this one; also a very nice poem:

breaking waves

seaweed-tinged air

seagulls squawking overhead

wet sand squishing between my toes

salty ocean water

my childhood heaven 

         © 2017 Stephanie Abney

And that makes a new version of the same poem and it’s pretty cool as well.

OR you can use the other format with FIVE senses and follow the same steps; fill in the blanks, then take away the numbers and even remove the pronouns, select verbs and articles and see what you get:

1. It looks like (instead of I see) _________________ 

2. It smells like _______________________________

3. It sounds like (instead of I hear) _______________

4. It feels like _________________________________

5. It tastes like ________________________________

So, there are a few different ways to approach this type of poem. Enjoy!!

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 your 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 25 ~ How to Write an “Acrostic Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth ”

Most people have heard about and even written an “acrostic” poem. It’s a rather simple pattern and can be quite fun to do. You can choose any word to be your base – a word or name that you write down the left hand side of your paper, one letter under another. 

And there are so many “National Days” today you just might want to use one of them as a prompt – or not – up to you (of course).

But here are some ideas to get you thinking: Because today, April 25, 2017 is:

DNA Day
Hairstylists Appreciation Day
Hug A Plumber Day
International Marconi Day
National Mani-pedi Day
Red Hat Society Day
World Penguin Day

SO, it only takes a few steps to get started –

1. Choose a name or the object of your poem.
2. Write that name or that word down the left hand side of your paper vertically, generally using all capital letters.
3. Start each sentence of your poem with the capital letter on that line.
4. No need to worry about rhyming or counting syllables or anything.
5. Each line can be whatever length you choose, from one word to a longer sentence.

Examples: 

One word/line acrostic for the name “Susan” (Yes, I know this is a lame example, but it’s just an example. I know you can do better):

Super
Unique
Sweet
Adorable
Nice

Or, use the first letter as the beginning of a sentence instead of a single word.

I shared the following last year, but I really can’t let this poetry form pass without sharing this delightful experience I had while teaching English in China once again. 

I had a 14 year old student named “Fiona.” I explained how to write an acrostic poem and suggested to the students that they choose a favorite animal for their poem. I gave additional details and then they got busy.

Soon they were showing me their poems. They did a wonderful job. Then Fiona turned in her poem:

Snow is falling down.
No one wants to stay outside.
A little girl stands at my front door.
Knocks it with a little cry.
Early afternoon, she falls asleep in my room.

I read it and told it that it was a lovely poem but it had nothing to do with a snake. She replied, “But I wrote ‘snake’ down the left hand side.”

So I explained that the poem also needed to be ABOUT a snake if that was the word she chose. So she said, “Okay,” took the paper back, added a few words and turned it back in…

Here is what she added to that last line of “Early afternoon, she falls asleep in my room … and then she turned into a snake.”

I loved it!! Love her!! I laughed so hard. It is a cherished memory. And now, you can enjoy it too. Cheers!!

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 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 24 ~ How to Write a “Nonet Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

What is a "Nonet Poem" and how do you write one?

I have come to LOVE this poetry form and think it is such fun. I hope you enjoy it too. And even though I have shared these two poems in years past – they remain favorites of mine for this poetic form so here they are again!! Cheers!!

A Nonet Poem is based on NINE, in more ways than one ~ it has nine lines and the FIRST LINE has NINE syllables ~ but there are a few more details to know. I have come to really love this poetry form. And I love my example poems I wrote in previous years that I’m going to share them again. But here is how you do this poem. SO FUN!!!

When I looked up the word “nonet” in the dictionary I discovered it stood for 9 musical performers or 9 instruments – and the poem has a pattern that has 9 lines – first line has 9 syllables, each line thereafter has one less syllable, ending with the last line only having ONE syllable. The number of words does not matter, ONLY the number of syllables so it actually provides you with some flexibility. Intriguing, right?

* * * * * * * * * (9 syllables)

* * * * * * * * (8 syllables)

* * * * * * * (7 syllables)

* * * * * * (6 syllables)

* * * * * (5 syllables)

* * * * (4 syllables)

* * * (3 syllables)

* * (2 syllables)

* (1 syllable)

It can be about ANYTHING as long as the SYLLABLE COUNTS ARE CORRECT, so PLEASE count them so you can do it correctly.

 Here are two examples I wrote:

 

 Made chocolate chip cookies tonight

One taste before I go to bed 
One bite follows another
I forgot what I said
I’m ready to stop
Well, maybe not
Just one more
Then to …
Bed!!
          © 2014 Stephanie Abney

“Grandma, may we have a sleepover?”

My precious grandkids ask again.
“We promise to obey you.”
They give a hopeful look.
“We won’t talk in bed.”
That’s what they said.
“We love you.”
I said,
“Yes!”

             © 2014 Stephanie Abney

OKAY, your turn – GO!!

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.