Day 16 ~ “Lantern Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

Day 16 ~ “Lantern Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth  

There are so many lovely little Japanese poetry forms out there and most are quick and fun to do. Just like this one. It’s called a "Lantern Poem."

A lantern poem is a five-line poem in the shape of a Japanese lantern. Please note that each line is specific in what the word(s) should be describing and then also note the number of syllables per line. These poems Do NOT have titles – the first line is basically the title.

The Pattern is:

Line 1: noun (one syllable)

Line 2: describe the noun (two syllables)

Line 3: describe the noun (three syllables)

Line 4: describe the noun (four syllables)

Line 5: synonym for noun in line one (one syllable)

The first year I did this month-long poetry challenge was 2011. A writer friend, Mary, faithfully participated in those early days but passed away in 2013. She wrote the following LANTERN POEM and I thought I would share it as a lovely example of this poetry form:

        Sin

    Transgress

    Remission

The Atonement

       Debt

                  © 2011 Mary Walling

If you are looking for some inspiration, April 16^th is: National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day (which has now become the norm – LOL), National Orchid Day, National High Five Day (difficult to do while “social distancing”), and National Healthcare Decisions Day (seems appropriate).

For what it’s worth, here are a couple of my Lantern poems:

       Work

        PJs

    Every day

‘Til further notice

       Home

                        © 2020 Stephanie Abney

      Love

   Husband

  Companion

Together always

       Jim

                        © 2020 Stephanie Abney

YOUR TURN!!

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.