Day 30 – "Hyperbole Poem" for 30 Poems in 30 Days" ~ Final Day of Poetry Month ~ #NationalPoetryMonth

I really, really, really love the word “hyperbole.” I just like the way it sounds. And when used in poetry, it can be the cause of more fun than a life-long pass to Disneyland. (THAT was a hyperbole, by the way).

Hyperbole Poems are written in overstated, figurative language. They are full of very large exaggerations, often used for emphasis. A hyperbole is a figure of speech and a type of irony that uses extreme exaggeration for emphasis or to make a point. [Irony: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning]. Such statements are exaggerations but are not metaphors.

Obviously, such statements are not intended to be taken literally: “I’ve been waiting for an eternity for you to get here.”

Another case in point: “Hyperbole is the greatest thing in the history of the entire world!!!”

“I’ve told you a million times to …”

“She has a bazillion books.”

“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”

The 18th-century poet, Robert Burns, used hyperbole in his poem, “A Red, Red Rose.” In the poem he exaggerates about the degree of love he feels for his beloved. He says that he’ll love his “bonnie lass” until the seas go dry, the sun melts rocks, and the sands of life come to an end.

Here’s a great example in an excerpt (1st verse) of a hyperbole poem, “I Ate a Spicy Pepper” by Kenn Nesbitt – who has an excellent site for teaching poetry to kids (or anyone else, for that matter).

I ate a spicy pepper

From my brother on a dare.

The pepper caught my head on fire

And burned off all my hair.

 

It goes on with more examples of hyperbole – such as
My mouth erupted lava
And my tongue began to melt.
My ears were shooting jets of steam.

....

 

Well, you get the idea ~ there really are no special rules as to rhyme or rhythm with a hyperbole poem. You are the ruler of the world … of your poem, that is. (Threw in a little hyperbole for ya’).

So, what’s on your mind? Have fun with it!! S-T-R-E-T-C-H the truth and write a poem!!

Here’s a crazy little 4-line example from me. What do the rest of you out there have to offer?

 

 

The little girl said she had a dog as big as a cow.

I thought that was odd and I asked her how.

She said the dog ate as much as a horse.

Well, I thought, that explains things, of course.

                                     

                                                © 2021 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 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 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 and the creative work of others.

Day 29 – Poem in Your Pocket Day for “30 poems in 30 days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

Today is “National Poem in Your Pocket Day.”  Fun stuff and we will be celebrating it by choosing a poem and carrying it with you today and sharing it with others any way you wish.

And I think it would be AWESOME if the poem you choose is one that YOU wrote! But, any poem is just fine.

One of the easiest ways to celebrate is via social media using this hash-tag: #pocketpoem. So, I think you should pick one of your own original poems or find a poem you like . . . you can even make copies of it to hand out or just one copy that you carry around all day and hopefully share with others.

I’d like to share a poem about this day written by one of our regular participants in my April Poetry Month Challenge. It’s a great little poem and I share it here with her permission:

 

Poem in Your Pocket Day

 

Take some time on this very special day
To find a favorite poem for a fun holiday
It may be one that makes you laugh or smile
Or even one that makes you think a while
 
It can be one you've written yourself
Or one you find upon a Library shelf
Just keep it with you throughout the day
Then share with those who come your way.

 

© 2017 Vicki Firth

 So, that’s pretty much it for today – Enjoy!!!!

Here’s a link from the “National Poetry Month” website all about “Poem in Your Pocket Day”

https://www.poets.org/national-poetry-month/poem-your-pocket-day

 

Day 28 ~ Cinquain Pattern 3 for #NationalPoetryMonth and "30 poems in 30 days"

I really LOVE Cinquain Poems – it was at a poetry workshop many moons ago that I was first introduced to cinquain poetry. It’s remained one of my favorites. I have uncovered THREE DIFFERENT ways to write a cinquain poem; 1 is by counting the number of syllables per line, another by counting the number of words per line, and the last one counts WORDS . . .  BUT with very SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS!! Today we are doing the LAST type ~

Cinquain poems always have FIVE LINES, but for the version I call “Pattern 3,” you will need to fill each line in ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTIONS BELOW!! J

This Cinquain Poem has a certain number of words for lines 1, 2, 3, and 5 but line 4 is any phrase (just a short sentence) you want to use so it sort of “pull it all together”

Here is the PATTERN:   

Line1: A noun

Line 2: Two adjectives

Line 3: Three -ing words

Line 4: A phrase (short, but no specific number of words)

Line 5: Another word for the noun

 

Here are two examples of mine I wrote a while ago:

                                                                   

Dancer
Graceful, lyrical
Leaping, twirling, spinning
My beautiful granddaughter
Payton
                                                      © 2019 Stephanie Abney

 

 

Babies
Sweet, precious
Laughing, babbling, crying
If only they stayed little
Adorable

                                                    © 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 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.

Photo credit: Pixabay

 

 

Day 27 ~ “Terse Verse” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” #NationalPoetryMonth

Ever since I discovered this fun little poetry form 5 years ago, I haven’t been able to resist using it every year. Writing “terse verses” is so fun and quick, but it’s a bit tricky!!

It will put a smile on your face!! It takes a bit of figuring things out at first, but once you hang of it – it’s hard to stop creating them!!

A “Terse Verse” is usually funny. It’s actually a riddle with a two-word rhyming answer; basically a synonym . . . 

The tricky part is that the two words in the answer must also have the same number of syllables. So, if you use a one-syllable word for the first word, then the second word also needs to be a one-syllable word, or both need to be 2 syllables, etc.

Here are a few of my examples:      

RIDDLE QUESTION: What do you call a joke-telling rabbit?

TERSE VERSE (answer): “Funny Bunny”
[2 syllable word (fun-ny) & 2 syllable word (bun-ny)]
 

What do you call a miserable cat?
“Crabby Tabby”

What do you call a cucumber that can’t make up its mind?

“Fickle Pickle”

What do you call polite frozen water?
“Nice Ice”

        All of the above terse verses © Stephanie Abney

I think the Rhyme Zone tool would come in handy for this – it might be easier to approach this poetry form backward by finding a double rhyming two-word phrase with equal syllables and then create a question or riddle for it.

Here’s the Rhyme Zone tool link: http://www.rhymezone.com/

And here are a few from some of the past participants of “Poetry Month” – (used with permission) Check out their cleverness:

 

What do you call a dog that writes?
Blog Dog

                ~ © 2018 Connie Cockrell

 

What do you call an antique tire?
Rare Spare

                ~ © 2018 Sue Fullmer

 

What do you call a donut on social media?
Twitter Fritter

                ~ © 2018 Victoria Firth

 

What do you call laughing pennies?
Funny Money

                ~ © 2017 Peggy Barker 

 

Can’t wait to see what you come up with! Cheers!!

 

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 26 - “Pensee Poem” for “30 Poems in 30 Days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

 I have really had fun with this poetry form when I taught school. It’s amazing what the students come up with. Let’s see what y’all can do with it. You need to follow the directions exactly – more counting of syllables but no rhyming required. I even created a little fill-in-the-blank chart to help you out! Cheers!!

How to write a “Pensee Poem” ~ “pensee” is a French word that means “a reflection or thought.” It is a five-line, structured poem that does not rhyme. Each line has a specific number of syllables and addresses a specific part of the poem ~ see box below.

The thing to watch out for is to follow the pattern, including WHAT should be expressed on each line, using a SPECIFIC number of syllables ~ and remember – THIS poem does not rhyme.  

 

Line	Pattern	Example
Line 1	Subject (2  syllables)	Freedom
Line 2	Description (4 syllables)	Our liberties
Line 3	Action (7 syllables)	Granted unto us by God
Line 4	Setting (8  syllables)	Outlined in our Constitution
Line 5	Final thought (6 syllables)	Thank you Founding Fathers

This is how the above example looks as a poem:

Freedom

Our liberties

Granted unto us by God

Outlined in our Constitution

Thank-you Founding Fathers      

      © 2014 Stephanie Abney

 

And a couple more examples from previous years:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandkids
So full of love
Throwing their arms around me
As we snuggle on Grandma’s couch
I lead such a charmed life
                               © 2018 Stephanie Abney

 
Ice cream
Cold, smooth and sweet
Makes its way to my tummy
At the end of a trying day
For now, all is just fine.
            © 2016 Stephanie Abney

So, these are a few of my examples, but you get the idea. So, go ahead and try several ~ perhaps one about an emotion, an animal, one of your favorite foods, or a time of year (holiday/season), an event, or something in nature. What comes to mind?

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 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 - Tanka Poem for “30 poems in 30 days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

This form of Japanese poetry has been called, “The Grandmother of Haiku.” This is one of the oldest forms of poetry. It originated in Japan during the 7th century. Unlike the Haiku, which tends to focus on nature, these poems allow for emotional expression and were often written by both men and women as private messages to their lovers.

INSTRUCTIONS:

A “Tanka” poem is an unrhymed Japanese poem consisting of five lines ~ although, it’s kind of like some crazy “run-on” sentence as only the first word of the first line is capitalized and the period goes at the end of the very last word of the last line, with no need for commas along the way.

Tankas are generally written in two parts or ideas. The first three lines comprise part ONE and the last two lines make up part TWO, which kind of an “answer” or “reaction” to the first three lines. (The first three lines tend to describe what happened, what was felt and/or feared, etc., while the last two lines tend to represent a resolution or lesson learned).

This poem is distinguished by the number of lines and syllables instead of rhyme. Please take care to COUNT the syllables in the poem you create and only use 5 lines. Tanka poems consist of 31 syllables in the following pattern:

Line 1 = 5 syllables

Line 2 = 7 syllables  

Line 3 = 5 syllables

Line 4 = 7 syllables
Line 5 = 7 syllables

Be sure to COUNT OUT your syllables so you get it right. J

(A Tanka poem doesn’t really need a title; up to you)

Here are a couple of examples:

TRUE STORY - WE MET IN A COLLEGE SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!

 

Little did I know
More than fifty years ago
Playing in the snow
Splat! A snowball hit my head
And found its way to my heart.
                    © 2021 Stephanie Abney

  

 
I look around me
Surrounded by family
I know I am blessed
Could anything be better
Than having a grandchild’s love?
                    © 2014 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 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.

 

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Day 24 - Tautogram Poems for “30 poems in 30 days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

 

So here’s huge challenge ~ I have never written one of these before nor have I made it part of the “30 poems in 30 days” challenge before but I like to “stir the pot” now and then so here ya’ go ~

Let’s write Tautogram Poems!!! This is an EXTREME form of an alliteration poem. The Greek root word “tauto” means THE SAME and “gramma” means LETTER ~ so, have you figured it out yet? Well, here’s the ONLY rule for this poetry form:

ALL and yes, I mean ALL words in the poem MUST BEGIN WITH THE SAME LETTER!! 

YIKES! There are a number of sites online that can help you with lists of words that start with the same letter so if you need help – just do a search.

Here is my example: I chose the letter “E” ~

 

Each energetic, elegant, exceptional excuse
explains excitedly, examines elements
equally entertaining, equipping events
ending in extended ecstasy.

                        © 2021 Stephanie Abney

 

Hmmm – can you make yours even longer? USING the same letter to begin every word and still make a semblance of sense out of it? Good luck!

So pick a letter--any letter--and let’s see what you’ve 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 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.

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Day 23 – “Free verse” poem for “30 poems in 30 days” for #NationalPoetryMonth

So, today I’m just going to “set you free.” Let’s just abandon all the rules (as some of you fabulous poets out there prefer to do anyway) and write a free verse poem about whatever you choose to write about.

Free verse is basically random, without any fixed metrical patterns of any kind and while there is no need to rhyme, it’s totally fine if you wish to use rhyme, but there is 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 feel cohesive, but once you get it just how you want it – you will be most happy with it. Create your line breaks wherever it “feels” right. Free verse poems can be long, short or anything in between, as long as it seems to have a good flow, then you are good to go.

No examples today – I don’t want to influence your “free verse” poem. Enjoy! Cheers!!

 

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.

*ARTWORK by Stephanie Abney 

 
Day 22 “All About Me” Poem for “30 Poems in 30 Days” for #NationalPoetryMonth
 
Here’s a fun little poem I think you will enjoy – I do believe poetry comes from the heart – but there is more than one way to reach into your heart. Questioning is always helpful in finding things out. Sometimes, when we answer questions, we find things out about ourselves we had not given much thought to before. So, this poem is called "All About Me" ~ just answer the questions and voila’ ~ you've created a poem!! Pretty cool and tonz’ of fun, especially with kids.

The “All About Me” poem can be deep and insightful or fun and silly. You can do it over and over, answering the questions from a different perspective. Enjoy!!
It’s super easy because there is an online “Autobiographical Portrait Poem Generator” for this type of poem – quick and easy!! I’ll give you the link after you read about it.

Typically, it goes like this:

Write your first name ...
Write four words about you... (Capitalize the first letter of the first word). (Put a period after the last word).
Sister of ... list your sibling’s name(s). (If you don't have brothers or sisters, write no one.)
Lover of ... three things you love,
Who feels ... three things and how you feel about them,
Who needs ... three things you need,
Who gives ... three things you give others,
Who fears ... three things that scare you,
Who would like to see ... three things you want to see,
Resident of ... the city you live in, then your street name, (Put a period at the end of this line).
[OR wherever you want to say – I usually say resident of the universe just because I get tired of my info being out there so much, even though I know someone can find plenty about me if they wanted to, but why make it easy all the time?]
Write your last name ...

 
Here’s mine (I made a new one this year – I’ve done a few in the past. I have answered the questions pretty closely for the sake of making an “example” poem).

 

Stephanie
Creative, supportive, optimistic, spiritual.
Sister of Camille.
Lover of life, family, and country.
Who feels happy when surrounded by grandkids, blessed beyond measure, and grateful to have lived so long.
Who needs understanding, time, and lots of books!
Who gives encouragement, insight, and love.
Who fears not finishing the important things, like writing my life story, but fears little else because of the Lord's comfort and promises.
Who would like to see everyone get along, my grandchildren grow up happy, and Austria . . . one of these days.
Resident of the universe.
Abney
                   © 2021 Stephanie Abney

OK so here is an Instant Poetry Creator for this poem ~ just answer the questions and then “click” and it writes your poem for you which you can then copy and paste (or tweak a bit if you wish) HERE IS THE LINK: Autobiographical Portrait Poem Generator ~ ALSO note: at this site - there are TWO different fill in the blanks poetry generators - one for he's and one for she's so use the correct one. Cheers!! Have fun!!
 

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 and the creative work of others.