More Forms

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Captured Talk	Couplet	Parody	Definition	How I Write	Just Because
Circle	Catalog Poem	Imitation Poems	Questions Without Answers	Concept	Mood
My Soul Is	Series of Lies	Histopoem	Seasons	Found Poem	Once I Was!
Lament	If	Acrostics	Biographical Poems	Fourteener	The Quatrain
The Lune	Clerihew	I Use to Be	Pantoum	Sestina	The Sonnet
Tercet	I Remember

Captured Talk

Record bits and pieces of conversation. This can be conversations that you heard on television, radio, on the telephone or conversations you had in person.

Try to record at least twelve phrases. Rearrange the phrases to make a poem. Example

Tercet

A tercet is a three-line stanza. Most tercets have at least 9 lines. The lines must follow a rhyme pattern. Each stanza may have a different pattern, although the same rhyme pattern is better. Of course, you can't use A-A-A! Usually each line has the same number of syllables. A length of 7, 9, or 11 syllables works best.
A-B-A
A-B-B
A-A-B

Definition (Name)

Instructions:

The first line of the poem is your full name: last name, first and middle names, nicknames in parentheses.
The second line is your grammatical role in the world. What part of speech do you play? Are you a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, pronoun, or interjection? And why?
The next line (or lines) is the etymology of your name, either the true origin or a creative guess. Put the etymology in square brackets
The next several lines of the poems are definitions of who you are with an example from your life to illustrate each definition. The first definition consists of synonyms, followed by an example.
The second definition consists of negation, telling what you are not or antonyms, followed by an example.
The third definition consists of a metaphor, comparing yourself to things that have similar qualities.
The fourth definition consists of an explanation of your relationship to another person or people.

The last line of the poem gives clues to your character in slanting brackets. Examples

My Soul

"My Soul Is" is a

Don't write the first word that comes to mind. Instead, think about writing around the word. For example, instead of simply saying "bird", you could say "soaring eagle". Sample:

My Soul is.............

My soul is a four pawed, fur covered, moon howling, and wild animal.
My soul dreams about being a successful predator.
My soul feels like melted snow.
My soul has been seen doing many things, both right and wrong.

Benjamen Flint

Sestina

The Sestina is a poetic form made up of six six-line stanzas and a final three-line envoi. The sestina is unique in that the poet is required to end each line using a set pattern of the same six words.

Make a list of six words. These six words will end each line of your poem.

Stanza
Stanza 1:ABCDEF Stanza 2:FAEBDC Stanza 3:CFDABE Stanza 4:ECBFAD Stanza 5:DEACFB Stanza 6:BDFECA The poem ends with a Tercet:

AB
CD
EF
Write a seventh stanza that is three lines in length, using all six ending words in the following places. Your ending words used in the second, fourth and sixth lines must be used halfway through the lines of this stanza. The fifth, third and first ending words of the first stanza are used to end the lines of this stanza, in that order.

It is often helpful to select the six words you want to use before writing even the first stanza. In the best sestinas, the words used to end your rhymes should say something about your subject all by themselves.

When poets write sestinas, they tend to put the word "sestina" in the titles. They want readers to realize the level of work and difficulty involved in writing the poem.

One of the challenges of writing a sestina is to create one that can be read aloud without the audience being conscious of hearing the same six words repeated seven times.

Pantoum

A pantoum is a poem with a fixed structure of repetition. Lines may be of any length in any meter. A pantoum is written in four-line stanzas; lines two and four of each stanza become lines one and three of the next stanza. The final stanza consists of lines one and three of the first stanza in reverse order as repetitions, along with the two lines inherited from the next to the last stanza.

If you want to try your hand at a pantoum, start simple. Just look around the room or out your window and try creating a pantoum about what you see. Here is a very basic pantoum to give you an idea of what you can do.

evening falls
kitty watches
in the window
waiting, waiting

kitty watches
ever patient
waiting, waiting
all alone

ever patient
in the window
all alone
evening falls

I Use to Be

I Used to Be poems are quite simple. You will write about how you have changed from what you used to be to what you are now. It can be serious, or it can be funny, the choice is yours.

I use to be _________________________________________________
But now I'm ________________________________________________

Example

Catalog Poem

This type of poetry catalogs how your senses perceive different things by comparing them to something familiar.

Title of poem _________________

LOOKS like____________________________________________
SOUNDS like___________________________________________
SMELLS like___________________________________________
TASTES like____________________________________________
FEELS like_____________________________________________

Sample

Snow

Frosting on a cake
A wood-burning stove on a winter day
Wind chimes in a breeze
A grape Mr. Misty
White, fluffy cotton

Mood Poem

I'm in a __________ (mood)
            Not __________ (mood)
            Not __________ (mood)
            Not __________ (mood)

But just __________ (mood)
          (mood) why
          (mood why
          (mood) why
State a mood (synonym for the mood)
Write things the mood is not. (Two stated briefly, one stated as a comparison using the words like or as)

Sample:

I'm in a lucky mood
          Not I just-hit-the-jackpot lucky
          Not I just-won-the-lottery lucky
          Not lucky like Ed McMahan shows up at my door with a check in my name

          for 2 million dollars
But just fortunate - lucky
          Lucky that I have a job I enjoy
          Lucky that I have a wonderful family
          Lucky to be ME and FREE !!!
Serendipitous
Not unfortunate!
Not jinxed!
Not ill-fated like the Titanic!

Series of Lies Poem

Tell a series of lies about yourself.

A. Begin with the line: I wish I were not so�..(lie)
B. The body (7 lines) should be about problems you encounter because of this lie about yourself.
C. End with an "if" statement (4 lines)
1. A. I wish I were not so handsome.
2. B. My amazing good looks make it difficult
3. for me to go shopping
4. without salesgirl fainting at my approach.
5. Mel Gibson writes me hate mail.
6. Michelle Pfeifer begs me for a date,

Histopoem

Line 1 - Event in history...
Line 2 - Happened when...
Line 3 - Happened where...
Line 4 - Caused by... (list 3)
Line 5 - Preceded by...(list 3 historical events)
Line 6 - Followed by...
Line 7 - Key people involved in the event... (list 3)
Line 8 - Artists and musicians of this period...(list 3)
Line 9 - Inventions of this period...(list 3)
Line 10 - If I had live then.............(p)

The Couplet

The couplet is not really a poetic form. It's two rhyming lines. They are easy to write and lend themselves to many subjects. They can be serious or funny. The meter can follow any pattern. The couplet can be single stanza or a part of a larger stanza.

It's simple to write a couplet. If you're having a problem rhyming, check out a rhyming dictionary at .

Parody

A parody is literary work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule.

Sample:

Twas the night before the verdict and all through the jail
Would O.J. go free or would he rot in jail?
O.J. was stuck in his cell trying to keep cool
He decided to sleep instead of playing the fool.
His hopes were instilled in the jury with care,
In hopes that the verdict would soon be there.
The lawyers nestled all snug in their beds,
With visions of victory in their heads.
And Marsha in her 'kerchief and Cochran in his cap
Had settled their brains for a long winters nap.
When inside the courtroom arose such a clatter
Judge Ito rose to see what was the matter.
Up from the bench he arose like a flash.
Then he banged his gavel smash, smash, smash!
In the gaze of the jury on the crowd below
You could see that O.J.'s tension had started to grow.
While the members of the jury were writing something down
If you were in the jury looking down you could see O.J.'s big fat frown
While Ito was bored picking his pocket lint
The jury gave him a note saying O.J. was innocent.
They hooped and they hollered, they broadcasted on the news
Now O.J. can go home and finish his snooze.

Jason Parker

How I Write

Make a list of all the habits and practices you associate with writing. This list sould be long. You may include all kinds of writing that you do, including notes, both class notes and the kind you shouldn't pass, letters, diaries and emails.

Writing itself

Do you write slow or fast?
Do you make revisions? When?
Do you revise as you write?
Do you have an idea before you start?
Do you think of a beginning, middle and end as you write or do you sort it out later?
Do you think awhile before starting or plunge right in?
Do you make notes before you start?
Do you prefer to write in longhand or type?
Do you use graphic organizers?
Do you use "cut and paste" when you type?
When and how do you come up with a title?
Do you put the writing away when you've finished, then look at it again later?

Sample:

My Writing

I write in between fast and slow
I revise my work after I am finish
Yes, I think as I go
Usually I'll write about anything
I'll write what eve comes to my head
I start when I've seen or heard something inspiring and plunge right in
I start with whatever comes to my head then put in it an order that makes sense
I'll say long hand because I write everywhere
I've used it once or twice when I notice a mistake in my order of arrangement then I try to retype it
I correct those that need it
I work with what I have
I come up with the title when the paper is complete and find one that best fits it I put it away until I need it

Meodon Mehasak

Seasons

First choose your favorite season and write a stanza for that season. Appeal to the senses to make your reader understand the season. It might be helpful to start with a formula, such as the one below, which supplies the opening words.

Autumn is a time for ...
It looks like ...
And it sounds like ...
It smells like ...
Sometimes it tastes ...
And I can touch (feel) ...
Autumn, a ( ... ) time of year.

Now think about the other seasons in the same way. Is there one season you don't like at all? Why? You will end up with four stanzas, one for each season. Be sure to include the senses of sound, sight, smell, taste and touch. Sample

Found Poem

The found Poem is a poem consisting of words found in a nonpoetic context (as a product label) and usually broken into lines that convey a verse rhythm.

Sample:

processed for
nutrition
go Dutch
prefer style
darker
mellow
hot

Questions Without Answers

"Questions without answers" is a simple form. Think about questions, but not about answers. In fact, don't even try to answer them. Now think about questions that you can't answer. Can you remember any unanswered questions from you younger years, such as, "How high is up?"

Write your questions, leaving a space (or two) between each line. Now you may fill in every other line with a related question or with an answer, stated as a question.

Sample:

What is Music?

What is music?
How do we know it's music?
What if it's not music?
Could it be just a sound to our ears?
Do you know what is music?
What is music?

Trang Nguyen

Circle Poem

The circle poem is a list of related words. The poem can be read beginning with any word and the relationships always complete a circle. Although the words are related, aim for connections that are not expected by the reader.

The reader should be able to begin with any word in the poem and discover the connections.

Sample:

Gateway
computer
monitor
music
party
people
melodies
heaven
portal
dog
fire
hydrant
smoke
detector
cigarettes
teenagers
high
school

Melanie Snelson

When you type them, try typing them in a circle. WordArt in Microsoft word is excellent for this!

Just Because

Just Because... poems ask you to describe yourself in the first line of the poem. The next three lines in each stanza tell what you are NOT. The final line restates the first line and adds a tag directing the reader to do something.

Sample:

Just Because

Just because I'm not that smart
aDon't underestimate me.
aDon't act like you know so much

Just because I'm not that smart
aIt doesn't mean that you have to be mean
aIt doesn't mean you got to give me special treatment.
aIt doesn't make me fell good!

Just because this is not nice or cool, but very cruel
Just because I'm not that smart still treat me with respect!

Louis Menard

Imitation Poems

Imitation poems are fun! Select a poem that you really like. Use that poem as a pattern and motivation for your poem. Unlike parodies, these poems are not ridiculing the original poems.

Motto poems are imitations of Motto by Langston Hughes

My Motto

I am tight,
you know what I mean.
I am myself,
and I am always seen.
My motto,
my main rule,
is:
Be tight, be right
and stay in school.

Samantha Young

MY MOTTO

I play it shy
I play it slow
No one must know
How I fly
I live by the rules
I've studied life
And learned to cover
Up my feelings
With my best smile
My motto is:
Don't give up on life.

Grace Varghese

The following is an imitation of Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

Sister to Sister

darling sister, young and innocent
Please be careful along your journey
Mine was rough with jagged edges
For my journey ended early
I had to grow up so early I had no time to live
For when he arrived I had no fun Please
be wise in the steps you take
please
do not make the same mistake
I love you so
Don't try to be all grown up
For yet you are still so young
I learned my lesson the hard way
now I have the hardest job of all taking care
of myself and my son
take it from me and don't try to be me
I love you dear sister
take your time growing up
It goes by so fast just take it easy
don't be so busy

Lindsey Purdy

Once

This poem is similar to the I Used to Be poem!

Once I was_______________________________

Once I was ______________________________

Now I am ______________________________

Once I was ______________________________

Now I am _______________________________

Once I was ______________________________

Now I am ________________________________

Once I was ______________________________

Now I am _______________________________

Lament

Directions:
First, choose a feeling from this list: loneliness, injustice, anger, fear, compassion, courage

Now create an instant poem thinking about this feeling as if it were a person.

I am

I dress in

I need

I am related to

I vacation

My job is

I desire

Directions: Use a mathematical, science or techno term to replace the word �love�.

If love was a color

It would be ____

As ____ as ____.

If love was a taste

It would taste just like ____

If love was a smell

It would be ____

If love was a sound

It would be ____

If love was a color

It would be ____

As ____ as ____.

If love was a feeling

It would be ____

If love was an animal

It would be ____