Villanelle

Write a villanelle about your person. See the hanout from class for details on how to write a villanelle.

Prose Poem

A prose poem is a poem written in prose form, usually one or more paragraphs. What makes it a poem is that it uses imagery and interesting language to write about a subject. Think of it as a poem that is written in paragraph form.

Write a prose poem about the person you researched.

Sonnet

Write a sonnet about the person you researched. See the handout given out in class for sonnet guidelines. For this sonnet, you need to have a rhyme scheme of some kind - it may be any of those listed in the handout. Your sonnet MUST have a "twist" of some kind - a place around line 8 or 9 where the ideas in the poem go off in a different direction from the way they started.

Object's Point of View

Write a poem from the point of view of an object that is associated with your person. This is based on the poem we read in class about Emmett Till, written from the POV of a tree who witnessed his slaying.

Sestina

Write a sestina about the person you researched. See assignment sheet from class for details on how to write a sestina.

Enjambment

Enjambment is breaking lines in places that do not correspond with the normal rhythms of speech. For this assignment, write the same poem twice: once using more conventional, rhythmic lines breaks, and the second time, using enjambment in determining your line breaks. A suggested topic for this poem is "The Kiss" but you may use any topic.

Wing's Photos

Look at the photos displayed in our windows and the Hubb Center's windows. Respond to one or more - a poem, a free write, a story explaining the photo....anything.

Limericks

Write 3 limericks. Have fun!

The rhythm/rhyme scheme is...

da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (A)
da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (A)
da da DUM da da DUM (B)
da da DUM da da DUM (B)
da DUM da du DUM da da DUM (A)

Favorite Song: Rhythm

Choose a song or poem with a regular rhythm. Copy it, and then write your own poem or song that uses the same rhythm.

Free Writes: Weeks 3-4

4/26: How do you want people to remember you?
4/28: What are you doing for early release

Free Writes: Weeks 1-2

4.14 One word that describes you right now
4.15 Rain or Sun? Why
4.16 Family
4.19 Smells
4.22 If you were something non-human, what would you be?
4.23 Design your ideal weekend

Metaphor, Simile, Personification

Look at other poems and find the following:

7 metaphors
7 similes
3 personifications

Write out the line that includes the imagery, the name of the poem and the poet. You may do thi on your blog or in your notebook.

Painting

Look for a painting and write a poem about it, using images. We looked at The Nighthawks by Hopper and Nude Descending Staircase by Duchamp, and poems that went along with them. Post the painting and the poem on your blog.

Family

We read the poem, My Mother Makes Me a Geisha Girl, and looked the images contained within it. Write TWO poems about someone in your family that includes a flashback and images.

Smells Good!

Describe someone you know well by their smell. These can include imaginary smells, what someone could smell like (ie "Randy smells like a bamboo forest." We don't know what a bamboo forest smells like, but it describes Randy very well.)

Steal This Line

For this assignment, I'd like you steal lines from the poem/song you chose as your favorite. Go through and choose at least 3 lines from your favorite poem/song. Use each of these to start a new poem/song that you will write yourself. I'd like each of your new poems to contain a minimum of 16 lines. Within those 16 lines you may use up to 2 additional lines from your favorite song/poem, but the first line MUST come from your favorite song/poem.

What's your favorite poem, alternate assignment

OK. Since we're doing blogs, some of you want to stay with the world on poems and songs on-line. We talked briefly about the memories evoked by a certain song or poem.

This is your alternate assignment for favorite poem:

Find two poems or songs, or one of each.
One of these should be special to you because of the memories it evokes.
One should be something you like, but does NOT have strong memories associated with it.

Find these poems/songs and put it on your blog. Write at least 250 words each about why you like it/what memories are evoked.

Be prepared to share in class tomorrow.

What's Your Favorite Poem?

Everyone has a favorite poem, even if it's a song. Find a poem or song that you love and think about why you love it. Hand write it into your journal. Let the words flow out of your fingers. Then write about why you love it - at least 300 words. Share it with the class: 25 points.