Friday, November 6, 2015

Rainstory - Standing on Other Poets' Shoulders


Windowpane Rain
by Amy LV




Students - We have been having some unseasonably warm days here south of Buffalo, NY, and a bit of rain too.  Some years at this time we can expect snow, so the sound of rain has been a lovely reminder of spring, and it is a sound I wish to hold onto as we enter these cold months of snuggling near the woodstove.

Today's poem's meter stands on the meter of a poem I love - "Windy Nights" by Robert Louis Stevenson.  When I began to write this verse, I first read and reread Stevenson's poem, with the plan to write mine in a similar meter.

See, sometimes, it's hard for me to get started writing.  I'm not sure what topic to choose or what form to write in.  Reading others' words and standing on their strong writerly shoulders can sometimes give me just the boost I need to get into a writing mood.  So, thank you, Robert Louis Stevenson!

One wonderful thing about life is that it is always changing.  What is something you wish to hold onto?  Today I wish to hold onto the sound of rain at my window.  You might wish to make a list of such things in your own notebook as these will be good writing topics, both now and in the future.

Over at my other blog, Sharing Our Notebooks, I am tickled to welcome K.A. Holt, author of RHYME SCHEMER, HOUSE ARREST, and other books for young readers.  Learn about various notebooks and habits, and comment to be entered to win your own copy of her latest novel in verse - HOUSE ARREST.

Katya is hosting this week's Poetry Friday roundup over at Write. Sketch. Repeat. Head on over and join the party!

Please share a comment below if you wish.

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing your poem which speaks so fluidly (no pun intended...). Special thanks, too, for sharing the backstory. As a neophyte (dare I say:) poet, I appreciate your instruction. Rain can be a pain, but next time it comes around, thanks to you, I'll pay attention to its voice against the pane. God bless you!

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  2. Lovely thought Amy. Here where it is often dry, we do talk about the rain sounds, especially if we have metal roofs! I like how you set the scene too, a young child waking up. Lovely.

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  3. Today I'm holding on to the comforting sentiment of having poetry masters supporting me as I learn and grow as a poet, myself. Thanks, Amy.

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  4. Such a charming poem. I love the way you look at the world. :)

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  5. I am getting tired of the sound of rain, but I will never tire of the sound of your poetry. While I sit here in the deep south listening to the same sound, I'll think of you curled up in your bed dreaming of spring.

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  6. I love Stevenson's poetry and I love the way you have been inspired by his to create such a vivid one of your own. Lovely!

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  7. It's so hard to remember each season's particulars. Seems like just yesterday, the world was a noisy place when I walked in the early morning dark (crickets, birds), but now there's just the fluttery sound of single oak leaves falling onto unraked lawns.

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  8. Great way to capture the memory. Enjoyed this!

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  9. Oh, RLS would be proud! What a lovely poem - "rainstory" makes me smile. It's raining outside here in the Lowcountry Sunday night as I type this!

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