Day 1 ~ Lantern Poem for #NationalPoetryMonth “30 Poems in 30 Days”

 

Yay! It’s the first day of April and this is no April Fool’s Joke – it’s POETRY MONTH!!! A poem a day for 30 days during the month of April ~ Many people reading this right now have done this poetry challenge with me before but I know we have some newbies this year. This is the NINTH year that I have done this poetry writing challenge here on my blog so I do want to add one or two (maybe more) new (to this challenge) poetry forms but I also enjoy sticking with some of our favorite tried and true poetic styles. This is fun and easy – even kids can and do join in.

I also host a private FB Poetry Month group; if you are interested in that, you will need to contact me and request an “invite” to it.  

Why write poems? I love this quote: “Poetry can indeed change lives, which can, in turn, change the world.” — Richard Blanco, Academy of American Poets Education Ambassador.

Join in on our challenge and I think you will agree!

“National Poetry Month was inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets celebrating poetry’s vital place in our culture.” from "poets.org"

I present a different poetry form each of the 30 days and give easy to understand instructions on how to write that type of poem, including some examples. Then, following the instructions, you write a poem, and if you wish, you may post it in the comments of my blog and/or post it on your FB wall (it’s lots of fun and if post your poem on FB, perhaps you could add the link to that day’s blog post in your first comment after your poem so others can see how to write it; I suggest putting it in the comments and not at the top of your post with your poem because FB limits the number of people who see things when posts have links in them), post it on your OWN blog (but please do not just copy & paste “my instructions” onto your blog – I’ve been creating how I describe these for several years – true, there are not too many ways to tell how to write a haiku, but for many other poems out there, some instructions are better than others. Instead, link to that day’s blog post on my blog so others can find the instructions), and/or just keep a notebook of your poetry for yourself or give your poems away or whatever . . . one friend started doing this with me a number of years ago and has since written THOUSANDS of short poems, often including one or more each day as part of her journal. NO PRESSURE – if you can’t write a poem on one of the days – don’t – but come back as soon as you can and participate. It’s fun! OK, let’s get started!!

Let’s start with one that is rather easy - a simple little Japanese poetry form called a "Lantern Poem." But don’t let its simplicity fool you – it has specific requirements.

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)

 

Here are a few examples to get the creative juices flowing:

The first year I did this month-long poetry challenge a writer friend, Mary, faithfully participated. Sadly, she 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, especially since Sunday is Easter: 

         Sin

    Transgress

    Remission

The Atonement

       Debt

                  © 2011 Mary Walling

Here’s a couple I did last year, fueled by the pandemic:

HMMM - I happened to reread these and my first two examples aren't even the correct syllable count! Good grief! Sorry about that - I'll rewrite them . . . one of these days. Sigh

        Work

        PJs

    Every day

‘Til further notice

       Home

                        © 2020 Stephanie Abney

 

  

      Love

   Husband

  Companion

Together always

       Jim

                        © 2020 Stephanie Abney

 

 

                                And one last example:

 

Rest

Slumber

Forty Winks

Restorative

Sleep

 

                                                                                      © 2016 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.