If you aren't very familiar with poetry, you might have the idea that poetry is only about the beautiful things in life. You might think that poets are those people who have their head in the clouds, ignoring the hardships of life.
But that isn't the case. There is more to poetry than just love poems.
One of the poets I really enjoy is Langston Hughes. He died over forty years ago in 1967. But when searching for a good video depiction of one of his poems, I was very moved by this video made by a young teenager.
This is a video of Hughes' poem, "Mother to Son." Hughes mom did not have an easy life. According to wikipedia,
"Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri, the second child of school teacher Carrie (Caroline) Mercer Langston and James Nathaniel Hughes (1871–1934).
Hughes's father left his family and later divorced Carrie, going to Cuba, and then Mexico, seeking to escape the enduring racism in the United States. After the separation of his parents, while his mother travelled seeking employment, young Langston Hughes was raised mainly by his maternal grandmother, Mary Patterson Langston, in Lawrence, Kansas. Later, Hughes lived again with his mother Carrie in Lincoln, Illinois. She had remarried when he was still an adolescent, and eventually they lived in Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended high school. The Hughes' home in Cleveland was sold in foreclosure in 1918; the 2.5-story, wood-frame house on the city's east side was sold at a sheriff's auction in February for $16,667."
(Information found here )
Hughes' mom did not have an easy life. But, perhaps from her experience, he wrote this poem that contained beautiful truth.
What have you learned from difficulty which could inspire your own poetry? Comment and tell me or, better yet, write it into a poem!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Lenin Saw the Power in Poetry
Why should you read poetry? Is it truly useful in any way?
In a great article on why people should read poetry, John Lundberg wrote:
"In May of 1944, the poet Anna Akhmatova gave a reading at the Polytechnic Museum, the largest auditorium in Moscow. It was her first appearance in the city since World War II, and the room was packed. The poems she read had rallied Russians throughout the war, and her voice had broadcast through the streets of Leningrad to steel the city to the approaching German Army. When she finally closed her books, she received such thunderous applause that Joseph Stalin asked who'd organized the ovation. The man knew power when he saw it."
(from the article here )
Poetry was greatly valued at other times and is valued in other countries. It is sad to me that others cannot always see the value of poetry here in the US.
But I hope that stories like the above can inspire you to see that there is some value in poetry, at least to some people. So, like any curious person, everyone should at least give poetry a chance. If nothing else, you need to discover why other people are motivated by and waste their time with poetry.
The realm of poetry encompasses so many different styles, different subjects and different writers. That is part of why I picked the topic of poetry for this blog. I am hopeful that, by showcasing the variety in poetry, some people will at least try poetry and appreciate it more than they used to.
Poetry can help, heal and be enjoyed, if you will just give it a chance!
In a great article on why people should read poetry, John Lundberg wrote:
"In May of 1944, the poet Anna Akhmatova gave a reading at the Polytechnic Museum, the largest auditorium in Moscow. It was her first appearance in the city since World War II, and the room was packed. The poems she read had rallied Russians throughout the war, and her voice had broadcast through the streets of Leningrad to steel the city to the approaching German Army. When she finally closed her books, she received such thunderous applause that Joseph Stalin asked who'd organized the ovation. The man knew power when he saw it."
(from the article here )
Poetry was greatly valued at other times and is valued in other countries. It is sad to me that others cannot always see the value of poetry here in the US.
But I hope that stories like the above can inspire you to see that there is some value in poetry, at least to some people. So, like any curious person, everyone should at least give poetry a chance. If nothing else, you need to discover why other people are motivated by and waste their time with poetry.
The realm of poetry encompasses so many different styles, different subjects and different writers. That is part of why I picked the topic of poetry for this blog. I am hopeful that, by showcasing the variety in poetry, some people will at least try poetry and appreciate it more than they used to.
Poetry can help, heal and be enjoyed, if you will just give it a chance!
Where Do Poets Get Their Ideas?
Where do poets get their ideas? The answers to that question is as numerable as there are poets. If anyone knew a sure answer to writing inspiration, they could make millions but the answer is different for each person.
It's ironic to me that often the inspiration to write comes from the words of others. Reading the words of another can make us want to answer back with our own poem, our own emotions and experiences which their words drew out of us.
I know I am inspired by the quotations of others. Sometimes, I am inspired to write. Sometimes I am inspired to proceed with a course of action. Sometimes I am inspired to never read anything else by that writer. But that's why words are so important. They are just little typed marks on a page but they are more than that. Words are pure inspiration, whether for good or for indifference. Words change others, even if its just in the same way that they don't want to read anything else you write.
Words produce a result. What will your words produce?
Look us some quotations. See if any of them make you want to write a poem.
One of my favorite places to read quotations is through Brain Quote. You can search their site by topic or author!
Here is a poem my friend, Ryk, wrote that is based on a quotation by Einstein:
It's ironic to me that often the inspiration to write comes from the words of others. Reading the words of another can make us want to answer back with our own poem, our own emotions and experiences which their words drew out of us.
I know I am inspired by the quotations of others. Sometimes, I am inspired to write. Sometimes I am inspired to proceed with a course of action. Sometimes I am inspired to never read anything else by that writer. But that's why words are so important. They are just little typed marks on a page but they are more than that. Words are pure inspiration, whether for good or for indifference. Words change others, even if its just in the same way that they don't want to read anything else you write.
Words produce a result. What will your words produce?
Look us some quotations. See if any of them make you want to write a poem.
One of my favorite places to read quotations is through Brain Quote. You can search their site by topic or author!
Here is a poem my friend, Ryk, wrote that is based on a quotation by Einstein:
Ever Feel Like You're Writing in Circles?
Do you ever feel like you are writing in circles? Good! A circle poem can actually be very effective, both visually and mentally.
In life, one thing leads to another, which then repeats...
My friend, Art, wrote just such a poem.
It's a circle and you can't truly appreciate unless you go look at it.
It's very short! Click to see his shapely masterpiece. It's titled: Circle of Life
In life, one thing leads to another, which then repeats...
My friend, Art, wrote just such a poem.
It's a circle and you can't truly appreciate unless you go look at it.
It's very short! Click to see his shapely masterpiece. It's titled: Circle of Life
Poetry Leads to Social Work
Poetry leads to social work and to caring about your community. At least that is what two men called the Twin Poets believe.
The following video is about twin African-American men who are poets and social workers. In the short interview, they speak of how they feel their poetry led to becoming social workers and that doing social work inspires their poetry. They feel that poetry and caring about and working against social problems goes together. They think that poetry can be the first step that makes people go out and try to change the world, or at least make their own community better.
I too believe that poetry is useful, meaningful. I believe poetry can contribute to our lives and perhaps even to the health of our country. I really like the beginning of the short clip, where the brothers are inspiring all those African-American kids to write their own poetry. That's the kind of teacher I want to be. I hope I can (a white female) somehow reach the hearts of students of all races like these Twin Poets do.
Watch this video: Twin Poets-Why I Write, and be inspired of how you, too, can change your corner of the world.
The following video is about twin African-American men who are poets and social workers. In the short interview, they speak of how they feel their poetry led to becoming social workers and that doing social work inspires their poetry. They feel that poetry and caring about and working against social problems goes together. They think that poetry can be the first step that makes people go out and try to change the world, or at least make their own community better.
I too believe that poetry is useful, meaningful. I believe poetry can contribute to our lives and perhaps even to the health of our country. I really like the beginning of the short clip, where the brothers are inspiring all those African-American kids to write their own poetry. That's the kind of teacher I want to be. I hope I can (a white female) somehow reach the hearts of students of all races like these Twin Poets do.
Watch this video: Twin Poets-Why I Write, and be inspired of how you, too, can change your corner of the world.
But, I Can't Write a Poem...
Most of us want to say, "Hey, I'm just not a poet, OK? I don't write that kind of stuff. I don't even like to write!"
That's fine. I understand the feeling. But, for just one minute, could you make me a list, a list of:
Things You Like
Elements of Nature
School Supplies
Any List you come up with!
Congratulations! You now have a rough draft for a poem!
Don't believe me? Check out my friend, Art's poem. Basically, it is just a list (with one line summing it up at the end.)
A Day at the Fair
Footlong hot dogs
Apple pies
Cotton candy
(Jumbo size)
Ice cream cones
Rice krispy treats
Other yummy
Stuff to eat
Like kettle corn
And hot french fries
Barbecue plates
And cherry pies
Vanilla fudge
Chocolate cakes
I ate it all
Now my belly aches
©2010-Art Belliveau
(Used by personal permission from the author. The poem can also be found here )
That's fine. I understand the feeling. But, for just one minute, could you make me a list, a list of:
Things You Like
Elements of Nature
School Supplies
Any List you come up with!
Congratulations! You now have a rough draft for a poem!
Don't believe me? Check out my friend, Art's poem. Basically, it is just a list (with one line summing it up at the end.)
A Day at the Fair
Footlong hot dogs
Apple pies
Cotton candy
(Jumbo size)
Ice cream cones
Rice krispy treats
Other yummy
Stuff to eat
Like kettle corn
And hot french fries
Barbecue plates
And cherry pies
Vanilla fudge
Chocolate cakes
I ate it all
Now my belly aches
©2010-Art Belliveau
(Used by personal permission from the author. The poem can also be found here )
Old Popular Poems Can Still Be True
In this blog, I want to highlight poems from many cultures and many poets, of poets who are living now and those dead. I'd love to point out poems you never heard before.
But, now and then, I must share some of the old favorites.
"If" By Rudyard Kipling is a poem that really speaks to me. He is famous for writing The Jungle Book (which Disney made into a cartoon) but he was also a great poet.
Even after all its popularity, can you still hear a helpful message in it?
But, now and then, I must share some of the old favorites.
"If" By Rudyard Kipling is a poem that really speaks to me. He is famous for writing The Jungle Book (which Disney made into a cartoon) but he was also a great poet.
Even after all its popularity, can you still hear a helpful message in it?
Are You Like Your Parents?
Are you like your parents? How are you different? How are you the same?
As people get older, they often think more about their parents and who they identify with.
Seamus Heaney is a famous Irish poet (Read about him here, on the Nobel Prize website.) He even won the Nobel prize! But even though he was famous and recognized as a great writer, he too wondered how he was like his dad and not like his dad.
Perhaps he wondered whether his dad would see his writing as important.
These feelings are woven into Heaney's poem, "Digging."
As people get older, they often think more about their parents and who they identify with.
Seamus Heaney is a famous Irish poet (Read about him here, on the Nobel Prize website.) He even won the Nobel prize! But even though he was famous and recognized as a great writer, he too wondered how he was like his dad and not like his dad.
Perhaps he wondered whether his dad would see his writing as important.
These feelings are woven into Heaney's poem, "Digging."
Tanka Poems
Another poetic form is the Tanka poem.
Online, I discovered that:
"Tanka is an Ancient Style of poetry that speaks to the modern soul.
They date back to the 1300's.
The Tanka is Haiku. It focuses on nature and season, but is a bit longer than the Haiku.
It consists of 5 lines for a total of 31 syllables.
The syllables per line are according to the pattern
5 -7 -5 - 7 - 7. "
(information found at: this site)
The subject of a tanka can be whatever you choose.
My friend, Art, wrote this tanka about saying good-bye to summer vacation:
Tanka
Bright, sunny day out
As my vacation concludes
I want to stay in
To relax just one more day
With nothing to do--nothing
©2008-Art Belliveau
Many people enjoy using the tanka form.
If you check out this website you will find three tanka poems, accompanied by the photographs that inspired them.
Take a chance and try writing a tanka today!
Online, I discovered that:
"Tanka is an Ancient Style of poetry that speaks to the modern soul.
They date back to the 1300's.
The Tanka is Haiku. It focuses on nature and season, but is a bit longer than the Haiku.
It consists of 5 lines for a total of 31 syllables.
The syllables per line are according to the pattern
5 -7 -5 - 7 - 7. "
(information found at: this site)
The subject of a tanka can be whatever you choose.
My friend, Art, wrote this tanka about saying good-bye to summer vacation:
Tanka
Bright, sunny day out
As my vacation concludes
I want to stay in
To relax just one more day
With nothing to do--nothing
©2008-Art Belliveau
Many people enjoy using the tanka form.
If you check out this website you will find three tanka poems, accompanied by the photographs that inspired them.
Take a chance and try writing a tanka today!
Funny and Sad at the Same Time
Some poems express one emotion: grief, joy, excitement.
Others are a mix. This poem by Billy Collins is magical, funny, and, the ending is both a little sad but also rather surprising.
Listen to it and comment with your thoughts. I really like how he crafted this poem!
Others are a mix. This poem by Billy Collins is magical, funny, and, the ending is both a little sad but also rather surprising.
Listen to it and comment with your thoughts. I really like how he crafted this poem!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Sometimes Short is Best
One great thing about poetry is you really don't have to fill up a whole page with your words or make sure you use the entire dictionary.
Sometimes poems are short. Think about bullets. They are tiny, really, but they pack a punch that can stop your heart.
Short poems can be amazing, like this poem by an Alabama poet named Irene Latham:
Sixteen Words for Love
Ablaze now,
I give you
yes
raw snowmelt,
unbroken
braid.
Listen:
this ocean
is our map.
copyright 2011 Irene Latham
(found at: http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2011/07/sixteen-words-for-love.html)
Go on. What can you say in 16 words? Post it for me in comments.
Sometimes poems are short. Think about bullets. They are tiny, really, but they pack a punch that can stop your heart.
Short poems can be amazing, like this poem by an Alabama poet named Irene Latham:
Sixteen Words for Love
Ablaze now,
I give you
yes
raw snowmelt,
unbroken
braid.
Listen:
this ocean
is our map.
copyright 2011 Irene Latham
(found at: http://irenelatham.blogspot.com/2011/07/sixteen-words-for-love.html)
Go on. What can you say in 16 words? Post it for me in comments.
Bloody Poetry!
One of my favorite quotations about poetry:
"If you want to write poetry, you must have poems that deeply move you. Poems you cannot live without. I think of a poem as the blood in a blood transfusion, given from the heart of the poet to the heart of the reader. Seek after poems that live inside you, poems that move through your veins."
- Ralph Fletcher
So no pressure or anything. You just have to donate YOUR OWN BLOOD to write poetry! Wow, it's powerful stuff, isn't it?
"If you want to write poetry, you must have poems that deeply move you. Poems you cannot live without. I think of a poem as the blood in a blood transfusion, given from the heart of the poet to the heart of the reader. Seek after poems that live inside you, poems that move through your veins."
- Ralph Fletcher
So no pressure or anything. You just have to donate YOUR OWN BLOOD to write poetry! Wow, it's powerful stuff, isn't it?
Unhappy Poetry
Poetry doesn't only deal with the happy times or with the historical times. Some poetry is sad, about those inner feelings that we have a hard time confessing.
In this beat poem, "The Silent Cry (Depression)," Mr. Robert Achinson, a teenager, writes about his depression.
Have you ever felt this way? One thing I love about poetry is that poetry can help you feel less alone. You hear someone reading about how sad they have been and somehow, knowing their pain can give you strength to go on.
In this beat poem, "The Silent Cry (Depression)," Mr. Robert Achinson, a teenager, writes about his depression.
Have you ever felt this way? One thing I love about poetry is that poetry can help you feel less alone. You hear someone reading about how sad they have been and somehow, knowing their pain can give you strength to go on.
When Poetry Seems Too Hard To Write
Writing a poem seems like a big assignment to many students. Even with so many different forms to pick from, many students may wish that it was time to move on to a different section so that "Mrs. Coble can forget all about poetry" for awhile.
If you hate to write poetry, I have a solution.
There is wonderful website that makes writing poetry a simple matter of filling in banks. Check out the Educational Technology and Training Center
When you click on it, you can fill in the blanks and have an instant poem! And that's not the only kind you can make.
Check out all the links on the left of that page. This site is set up so you can make many different types of poems by filling out a few questions.
It took just a few moments for me to use the form to make this poem:
If you hate to write poetry, I have a solution.
There is wonderful website that makes writing poetry a simple matter of filling in banks. Check out the Educational Technology and Training Center
When you click on it, you can fill in the blanks and have an instant poem! And that's not the only kind you can make.
Check out all the links on the left of that page. This site is set up so you can make many different types of poems by filling out a few questions.
It took just a few moments for me to use the form to make this poem:
Maria
Tall, Confident, Determined, Artistic
Sibling of Luke, Miriam, Lydia, Elijah, Anna, and Jubilee
Lover of her children, books, poetry, dogs, and ocean waves
Who fears failing her children and wasting her life without making a difference
Who needs books, affection, paper to write on, a kind word
Who gives everything she has though it is never quite enough
Who would like to see her children become independent and loving adults
Resident of Alabama
Coble
Come on! All of you at least click on this site. It's easy! Feel free to comment with the instant poems you make through this method.
Tall, Confident, Determined, Artistic
Sibling of Luke, Miriam, Lydia, Elijah, Anna, and Jubilee
Lover of her children, books, poetry, dogs, and ocean waves
Who fears failing her children and wasting her life without making a difference
Who needs books, affection, paper to write on, a kind word
Who gives everything she has though it is never quite enough
Who would like to see her children become independent and loving adults
Resident of Alabama
Coble
Come on! All of you at least click on this site. It's easy! Feel free to comment with the instant poems you make through this method.
Writing about History ... and Gaming
Poetry isn't just about the weighty topics, such as 9/11, like I mentioned in my last post. No, poetry can also be about the little moments and the things we each enjoy doing, whether alone (like my post about the poem, "How to be Alone") or together, like this poem by my friend, Ryk.
Ryk is an English teacher and accomplished writer. He's always written poetry but, one year, he wrote a poem every day for a year and, as an added challenge, he recorded them as YouTube videos.
Poetry is truly for everyone, including the gamers. This poem is about the popular game, "Dungeons and Dragons"
"Dungeonsing and Dragonsing"
Ryk is an English teacher and accomplished writer. He's always written poetry but, one year, he wrote a poem every day for a year and, as an added challenge, he recorded them as YouTube videos.
Poetry is truly for everyone, including the gamers. This poem is about the popular game, "Dungeons and Dragons"
"Dungeonsing and Dragonsing"
Poetry Connects Us to Other Subjects
Poetry is unique in that it also often has to do with math. Many poetic forms relie on the poet using only a certain number of syllables per line. In order to figure out the number of syllables, a person has to (you guessed it!) count.
Poetry is also connected to history. Many poet's writing expresses political themes of the times in which they lived.
Through poetry, we can often gain a greater understanding of history and of how people emotionally responded to historical events.
This article called "The Poetry of 9/11 and Its Aftermath" includes several poems by well-known poets of today including one of my favorite contemporary poems: MartÃn Espada's "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100"
In some ways, history is preserved through poetry. Without poetry, there would be history but it would not be as full and complete at poetry as the history that includes poetry. Poetry helps history remain human and personal, instead of simply a list of dry facts and dates.
Poetry is also connected to history. Many poet's writing expresses political themes of the times in which they lived.
Through poetry, we can often gain a greater understanding of history and of how people emotionally responded to historical events.
This article called "The Poetry of 9/11 and Its Aftermath" includes several poems by well-known poets of today including one of my favorite contemporary poems: MartÃn Espada's "Alabanza: In Praise of Local 100"
In some ways, history is preserved through poetry. Without poetry, there would be history but it would not be as full and complete at poetry as the history that includes poetry. Poetry helps history remain human and personal, instead of simply a list of dry facts and dates.
Ever Want to Just be Alone?
Ever wish you could just be alone?
Almost every emotion humans have has been written into at least one poem.
Here's one of my favorite YouTube Poems called, "How to Be Alone"
According to the YouTube information:
"A video by fiilmaker, Andrea Dorfman, and poet/singer/songwriter, Tanya Davis.
Davis wrote the beautiful poem and performed in the video which Dorfman directed, shot, animated by hand and edited."
Almost every emotion humans have has been written into at least one poem.
Here's one of my favorite YouTube Poems called, "How to Be Alone"
According to the YouTube information:
"A video by fiilmaker, Andrea Dorfman, and poet/singer/songwriter, Tanya Davis.
Davis wrote the beautiful poem and performed in the video which Dorfman directed, shot, animated by hand and edited."
151 Poetic Forms and Counting!
I already posted about how there are 150 poetic forms and now I realize that there are actually more than that!
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
One poetic form not included at:
The Poet's Garrett is the Shadorma.
According to One Stop Poetry
"Shadorma is a 6-line poem (sestet) of Spanish descent with no set rhyme scheme. The shadorma is a syllabic poem with the following structure: 3/5/3/3/7/5.
Write line one with three syllables
Write line two with five syllables
Write line three with three syllables
Write line four with three syllables
Write line five with seven syllables
Write line six with five syllables"
(end of quoted material from One Stop Poetry)
One option is to write out your ideas in a free verse poem and then use the Shadora form to refine and edit your poem into a more concentrated form.
But a poem can begin and end as a Shadora.
Here is poem from my friend, Art. He is an English teacher who writes a poem every day (and has for more than a year.)
He wrote:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
shadorma 08/03/11
empty house
but it’s not lonely
who’d’ve known?
the quiet
serenity enfolds me
but please come back soon
©2011-Art Belliveau
(reposted with permission from The Ogre's Poetry Den )
I like the shadora form. To me, one of the ways poetry can be powerful is how it says so much in so few syllables.
I like how Art's poem expresses both enjoyment of being alone and longing for the presence of someone special, all in just 6 short lines.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
One poetic form not included at:
The Poet's Garrett is the Shadorma.
According to One Stop Poetry
"Shadorma is a 6-line poem (sestet) of Spanish descent with no set rhyme scheme. The shadorma is a syllabic poem with the following structure: 3/5/3/3/7/5.
Write line one with three syllables
Write line two with five syllables
Write line three with three syllables
Write line four with three syllables
Write line five with seven syllables
Write line six with five syllables"
(end of quoted material from One Stop Poetry)
One option is to write out your ideas in a free verse poem and then use the Shadora form to refine and edit your poem into a more concentrated form.
But a poem can begin and end as a Shadora.
Here is poem from my friend, Art. He is an English teacher who writes a poem every day (and has for more than a year.)
He wrote:http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
shadorma 08/03/11
empty house
but it’s not lonely
who’d’ve known?
the quiet
serenity enfolds me
but please come back soon
©2011-Art Belliveau
(reposted with permission from The Ogre's Poetry Den )
I like the shadora form. To me, one of the ways poetry can be powerful is how it says so much in so few syllables.
I like how Art's poem expresses both enjoyment of being alone and longing for the presence of someone special, all in just 6 short lines.
Forms of Poetry
Poetry can be any length and take any form. Or a poem can have no "set" form and be called free verse.
However, some poems do have forms and people decided to name what each form is. Some people would rather write to form. They think poems are more powerful when they are structured in a certain way. (This can be true. It depends on the poem.) Also, some people feel more comfortable writing with a road map, so to speak. They like to have an idea of where their writing is going before they begin.
So, if you want to write a poem and are not sure how to get started, check out different poetry forms and see if they inspire you!
I was going to list all the types of poetry but, in researching this topic, I discovered that many people recognize 150 different forms of poetry. Each form has certain name and certain rules about length of poem, number of syllables, number of lines, etc.
For a wonderful list of all 150 forms of poetry, check out this amazing site:
The Poet's Garrett
This website lists all 150 of the poetic forms in order alphabetically, from Acrostic to ZaneLa Rhyme. If you click on the type of poem, you will be sent to a page that explains what arrangement that type of poem has and then (the best part) lists many, many poems in each form for your reading enjoyment!
And, as always, feel free to post any of the poems you write in comments. I would love to read them!
With 150 forms to choose from, you are bound to be inspired to write more poetry!
However, some poems do have forms and people decided to name what each form is. Some people would rather write to form. They think poems are more powerful when they are structured in a certain way. (This can be true. It depends on the poem.) Also, some people feel more comfortable writing with a road map, so to speak. They like to have an idea of where their writing is going before they begin.
So, if you want to write a poem and are not sure how to get started, check out different poetry forms and see if they inspire you!
I was going to list all the types of poetry but, in researching this topic, I discovered that many people recognize 150 different forms of poetry. Each form has certain name and certain rules about length of poem, number of syllables, number of lines, etc.
For a wonderful list of all 150 forms of poetry, check out this amazing site:
The Poet's Garrett
This website lists all 150 of the poetic forms in order alphabetically, from Acrostic to ZaneLa Rhyme. If you click on the type of poem, you will be sent to a page that explains what arrangement that type of poem has and then (the best part) lists many, many poems in each form for your reading enjoyment!
And, as always, feel free to post any of the poems you write in comments. I would love to read them!
With 150 forms to choose from, you are bound to be inspired to write more poetry!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
A Poem about Baseball
What are poems about? Anything the author wants!
Did you know there are even poems written about baseball? Yes, sports and poetry can go together. Jocks can enjoy poems and writers can play sports. There are no limits to poetry!
These days, poetry is more than words on a page. This poem is presented like a music video, with scenes acted out to go along with the reading of the poem.
I hope you enjoy watching this famous poem, "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" by Ernest Thayer.
Did you know there are even poems written about baseball? Yes, sports and poetry can go together. Jocks can enjoy poems and writers can play sports. There are no limits to poetry!
These days, poetry is more than words on a page. This poem is presented like a music video, with scenes acted out to go along with the reading of the poem.
I hope you enjoy watching this famous poem, "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" by Ernest Thayer.
Limestone Dust Poetry Festival
There is a wonderful event here in Huntsville, Alabama every year called the Limestone Dust Poetry Festival. It is free and open to the public. Every year famous and talented poets come and share their work. At the end, there is an open mic time where anyone (yes, even you!) can get up and read one of your own poems. It's a great way to enjoy talented poets and to find an audience for one of your own poems.
For more information, check out the website of the Limestone Dust Poetry Festival:
http://limestonedustpoetry.org/
You can also find the Limestone Dust on Facebook.
I've attended two years in a row now and it's definitely an event you don't want to miss!
For more information, check out the website of the Limestone Dust Poetry Festival:
http://limestonedustpoetry.org/
You can also find the Limestone Dust on Facebook.
I've attended two years in a row now and it's definitely an event you don't want to miss!
Poetry is an Unique Form of Writing
Poetry is unique. It can be very short or very long. It can be written in complete sentences or be just a few words strung together. Anyone can write a poem. You don't have to be a great writer or even interested in writing.
Every poem is different, just as every poet is different. Hopefully this poem will help you learn to enjoy poetry and maybe even write some of your own!
Feel free to post your poems as comments on my blog. I love to read new poems!
Every poem is different, just as every poet is different. Hopefully this poem will help you learn to enjoy poetry and maybe even write some of your own!
Feel free to post your poems as comments on my blog. I love to read new poems!
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