Poetry Month Writing Tools
Somehow National Poetry Month, April, always seems to sneak by me way too quick no matter how hard I try to coordinate celebrations for it. This year, being already the last week of the month, I think at the very least, a short poetry blog for everyone is in store.
It is often that during my poetry workshops, students in elementary or middle school feel overwhelmed about reading/interpreting and writing poetry or they feel underwhelmed and assume it's boring, serious, and has to involve rhyming.
It's challenging to make a turn aound when I have only about 45 minutes with a group, but there has yet to be a time I can recall where the kids don't end up having fun and smiling by the time I'm saying goodbye and heading out the door.
So, if you're a parent with a child, homeschooling, a school teacher or just a poetry lover, take heart and take heed of these very simple formatting rules that make poetry writing creative and freeing and truly enjoyable.
Worried about capital letters? Throw that thought away! In poetry, it's your choice - lower or upper case. Experiment and see which you have a preference for when looking at the words.
Have a fleeting idea? Catching and wanting to share a glimpse of something ethereal? A passing feeling familiar to everyone? Don't bother with complete sentences, sometimes short - your expression caught in a few words or even just one word - does the trick.
Punctuation problem? Uh-uh, not here. Play around with punctuation, bouncing around the sounds of words and syllables you're choosing.
Worrying that your poem has to be a certain length (like long) takes away from the magic you're making with your words, wonder and rhythm. Try writing your verse in shorter lines because it slows the reader down, a good thing.
The most important factor with poetry writing and/or being the enchanted poem reader is that the author describes things in his or her own unique way. Express what you observe and feel, letting go of inhibitions. This is the place you can truly be yourself, and share that "you" with us!
Happy National Poetry Month!
With much love,
Raven
It is often that during my poetry workshops, students in elementary or middle school feel overwhelmed about reading/interpreting and writing poetry or they feel underwhelmed and assume it's boring, serious, and has to involve rhyming.
It's challenging to make a turn aound when I have only about 45 minutes with a group, but there has yet to be a time I can recall where the kids don't end up having fun and smiling by the time I'm saying goodbye and heading out the door.
So, if you're a parent with a child, homeschooling, a school teacher or just a poetry lover, take heart and take heed of these very simple formatting rules that make poetry writing creative and freeing and truly enjoyable.
Worried about capital letters? Throw that thought away! In poetry, it's your choice - lower or upper case. Experiment and see which you have a preference for when looking at the words.
Have a fleeting idea? Catching and wanting to share a glimpse of something ethereal? A passing feeling familiar to everyone? Don't bother with complete sentences, sometimes short - your expression caught in a few words or even just one word - does the trick.
Punctuation problem? Uh-uh, not here. Play around with punctuation, bouncing around the sounds of words and syllables you're choosing.
Worrying that your poem has to be a certain length (like long) takes away from the magic you're making with your words, wonder and rhythm. Try writing your verse in shorter lines because it slows the reader down, a good thing.
The most important factor with poetry writing and/or being the enchanted poem reader is that the author describes things in his or her own unique way. Express what you observe and feel, letting go of inhibitions. This is the place you can truly be yourself, and share that "you" with us!
Happy National Poetry Month!
With much love,
Raven
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