Wednesday, April 2, 2014

DAY TWO!! 30 Poems in 30 Days!!! “Couplet Poem”



So, for day TWO I thought we could write a few “couplets” ~ get it? For day TWO? They are simply a two-lined verse. How easy is that?


I hope you are trying these poetry forms out, even if you choose not to post them on here. Perhaps you could at least write them down each day in a “Poetry Journal.”
A friend of mine, Anna Arnett, is also doing a poetry challenge. In fact, I’ve noticed several writers doing this for Poetry Month – how cool is that? Anyway, she chose Day 1 for a couplet and this is what I posted on her blog for my couplet: 


Carefully stringing thoughts along    
Into lovely little word-songs.

    © 2014 ~ Stephanie Abney 


Although I’ve seen some that are totally random, the dictionary definition of a “couplet” suggests that they usually consist of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter. (The above example has 8 beats in each line and the endings rhyme well enough). So ~

Try expressing your complete thought in two mid-sized poetic lines. The last words should rhyme. It can be spiritual or silly or romantic or whatever suits your fancy – couplets are great to write for children or with children.

It is possible to string a bunch of couplets together to create a longer poem, but for our first day – just try one 2-line couplet.

Here a couple of couplets (hee hee) that I wrote a couple of years ago. Okay, so it was THREE years ago. Anyway, here they are, for what their worth (one is simple; the other is silly). 

 ~~~~~~~ I was thinking about the Lord's tender mercies and came up with this:
 
I know the Lord is mindful of me,
And it makes me happy as can be.
                             © 2011 by Stephanie Abney 
 
~~~~~~~ then, in a moment of frustration, I thought a little on "getting one's nose out of joint" and came up with this:
 
Writing this little assignment
Puts my nose out of alignment.
                               © 2011 by Stephanie Abney 
 
Did you think of a couplet? Just look around and think on an object or an emotion and give it a shot!!
 
Just a reminder – I’m going to share at least one poem in my blog post each of the 30 days of writing 30 poems ~ you are welcome (and encouraged) to do the same in the comments (or fire up your own blog)! Everyone should remember common courtesy: if someone writes something/anything - THEY ALSO OWN THE COPYRIGHT TO IT THE MOMENT THEY WRITE IT - so don't go using something you read here that someone else has written unless you give them proper recognition (and better yet, seek their permission to use it). Always include the name of the author of any story, poem, blog post or anything that you share. Thanks. [Drives me crazy when I read something wonderful that is flying through everyone's email and no one bothered to include the author's name].
Enjoy!!


Tuesday, April 1, 2014

DAY ONE!! 30 Poems in 30 Days!!! “Pensee Poem”




Ok, friends, are you ready? In honor of "National Poetry Month" for 2014, we are going to write a different style poem every day. Oh, yeah, there are LOTS more than 30 types of poems out there. 

PLEASE join in as OFTEN as you can but if you miss a day, hey, you miss a day. No reason to give up. Life is BUSY!! We all can relate!
So, for our FIRST poem, let’s start out with one that is really quite simple and can be lots of fun. This was a favorite form that I used when I taught school. It was amazing to me what the students came up with.
This form is called a “Pensee Poem” – it is a five-line, structured poem that does not rhyme. Each line has a specific number of syllables. 

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 ~                                      



Line
Pattern
Example
Line 1
Subject (2 syllables)                    
Newborn
Line 2
Description (4 syllables)                    
Precious and sweet
Line 3
Action (7 syllables)                       
Sleeps peacefully in my arms
Line 4
Setting (8 syllables)                
How do you like the world so far?
Line 5
Final thought (6 syllables)              
I wish you could tell me




                                                
Newborn
Precious and sweet
Sleeps peacefully in my arms
How do you like the world so far?
I wish you could tell me.

          Stephanie Abney ~   © 2014 

Well, this is just my example, but you get the idea. So, go ahead and try several ~ perhaps one about an animal, another about your favorite foods, or time of year (holiday/season), an event, an emotion, something in nature. What comes to mind?

Feel free to post your poem in the comments – or if you’d rather not – at least make a comment and let us know that you did try this type of poem and how it went for you. Cheers!!!


So, here's another one:



Freedom
Our liberties
Granted unto us by God
Outlined in our Constitution
Thank-you Founding Fathers

          
      © 2014 ~ Stephanie Abney



Check in tomorrow for a different style of poem.

Monday, March 31, 2014

April's National Poetry Month Challenge Begins tomorrow, April 1st


Well, I really MEANT to post more often on here, but I got sucked into the FB and Twitter world which allows for such quick and easy posting. Sigh...

I started this blog in 2008 and posted 24 times, in 2009 I posted 20 times, in 2010 only 5 times but in 2011 there are 43 posts (30 were the result of my 30-day poetry challenge), 2012 offers 14 posts (and 7 were poetry posts during April) and in 2013 I only posted 3 times. Sad. And for 2014? Well, THIS is my first post. Oh my. I plan to do better!!! I always think I have to play "catch up" before I can start up again and then that's so overwhelming I don't do either. So, no "catch up" - just moving forward.

To this day I get lots of hits about my poetry posts that I shared 3 years ago and I have had several requests to do it again. So . . . that's the plan. We will write 30 poems in 30 days!! Fun stuff!

                                     https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7kppJkKhBtVNwuWhKpvfBk_Y3AepE4vqslJu-Pdg6tnXb2hXRmfpfCMa50s9eS0SK47r36tS6caseoNxZrBVh3j5BfAVWNPMob4S7OcGfcvUeGGkXMvXDq-6xzWiFGn3AYFC_Ijem2Jb/s320/poetrypost8.png

Watch for the first post tomorrow -

To learn more about National Poetry Month, I refer you to the "National Poetry Month Q&A" page at poets.org, hosted by the Academy of American Poets. "National Poetry Month Q&A"

National Poetry Month is a month-long, national celebration of poetry established by the Academy of American Poets. It has been celebrated during the entire month of April ever since 1996.

So, check back on April 1st for your first challenge - it's bound to be fun!! A DIFFERENT poetry form will be offered each day with an explanation and example of that form and a challenge for you to create a poem of that type. Cool beans. See ya' tomorrow!!