Thinking Cactus
by Amy LV
Students - For this week's poem, I knew that I write a poem following the meter of someone else's poem. But as of yesterday, I had not yet chosen which poem. Nor had I chosen an idea.
I decided to force myself to find an idea by looking around the Aurora Town Public Library.
I looked at bookshelves, deciding to write a poem inspired by a book title. I almost did too...I almost wrote a poem inspired by the title MAKING MISTAKES ON PURPOSE. Can you find that book on the shelf below?
Bookshelf at the Aurora Town Public Library
Photo by Amy LV
Then I looked at magazines and the succulent wreath caught my eye. I thought about cacti and how much I admire their toughness. It was just a fleeting thought.
Magazines at the Aurora Town Public Library
Photo by Amy LV
I began freewriting about cacti to get some thinking down in my notebook.
Freewriting about Cacti
(Click to Enlarge)
Photo by Amy LV
Now, I had already assigned myself the task of writing a poem that matched the meter of another poet's poem. So, I read in this book by Nancy Larrick to choose a meter and rhyme scheme to copy.
Beautiful Library Discard I'd Brought with Me
Photo by Amy LV
And I decided to imitate the meter and rhyme scheme of a poem I have always loved, the poem by Christina Rossetti that begins "Hurt No Living Thing" - in the public domain.
By Christina Rossetti
Photo by Amy LV
Then it was time to get to work. I had given myself an assignment: write a cactus poem in the meter and rhyme scheme of Rossetti's poem. Below you can see some of that work. Note the numbers next to my lines - count to see if they match the numbers of syllables in Rossetti's lines. What do you notice about the rhymes in each poem?
Draft of "Once"
(Click to Enlarge)
Photo by Amy LV
I played and I wrote and I tapped the table and I read aloud...and at the end of it all, I had written the silly verse you find above. (To be truthful, I had a little giggle with cactus/fact is.)
Writing a new piece is a little bit like taking a trip. Part destination, much exploration. You might wish to document the journey of one of your pieces sometime. And if you have never given yourself an assignment, try that too. You might use mine or you might make up something completely new, just for you. The important thing is to follow through.
As I left the library last evening, I giggled again as - for the first time - I saw:
this Christmas cactus...in bloom
Christmas Cactus at the Aurora Town Public Library
Photo by Amy LV
this jade plant, also a succulent.
Jade Plant at the Aurora Town Public Library
Photo by Amy LV
It's funny how once I start thinking about a thing...I see it everywhere! Has this ever happened to you?
Congratulations to Linda A. for winning last week's giveaway - a signed copy of FINDING WONDERS by Jeannine Atkins! Linda, please send me an e-mail to amy@amylv.com with your snail mail address, and I will pass it along to Jeannine. Thank you, Jeannine, for the beautiful post and book!
Keri is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Keri Recommends. Please visit her place to think about reflection and to learn about what's happening poetry-wise all around the Kidlitosphere this week.
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