July 29, 2014

Having fun with poetry by Ruth L. Snyder

This month we're challenged to try a genre that we don't often write. Since I usually stick to prose, I thought it would be fun to learn about some poetry forms and try them out. I invite you to come along on my journey, exploring a few different styles.

Cinquain

This form was developed by Adelaide Crapsy. You can read the history here.
"Cinquains have five lines
Line 1: Title (noun) - 1 word
Line 2: Description - 2 words
Line 3: Action - 3 words
Line 4: Feeling (phrase) - 4 words
Line 5: Title (synonym for the title) - 1 word"

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Diamante

These poems are similar to the cinquain, but form the shape of a diamond.
"Line 1: Noun or subject - one word
Line 2: Two Adjectives that describe line 1
Line 3: Three 'ing words that describe line 1
Line 4: Four nouns - the first two are connected with line 1; the last two are connected with line 7
Line 5: Three 'ing words that describe line 7
Line 6: Two adjectives that describe line 7
Line 7: Noun Synonym for the subject"

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Learning, celebrating, networking
Workshops, worship, submissions, rejections
Crafting, editing, honing
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I Wish Poem

"Each line of the poem begins with the words "I wish" and then you fill in your ideasThe poem should be 8-10 lines long."

I wish every Canadian grasped God's amazing love.
I wish every Canadian accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour.
I wish every Canadian Christian used his or her spiritual gifts.
I wish every Canadian Christian writer received the support and encouragement he or she needed.
I wish every Canadian Christian writer understood the benefits of belonging to InScribe.
I wish every InScribe member obeyed God's call to write.
I wish every InScribe member felt supported in his or her writing.
I wish every InScribe member attended our fall conference.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me. I hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as I have. Thanks for the challenge, Brenda :)

You can learn about some other forms of poetry and write your own samples by visiting Kathi Mitchell's post, Poetry for Kids.

You can connect with Ruth and learn more about her usual writing style at http://ruthlsnyder.com 


10 comments:

  1. Ruth, I so enjoyed your posting.

    You've inspired me to try these new-to-me ways to write poetry.

    What fun....

    Brenda

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  2. I also enjoyed your post. I liked the responses to---I wish. It can be a great exercise in learning more about someone as well as a different writing experience.

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  3. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. I tend to stick to my comfort zone, but it's good to try new things. This was a fun way to stretch myself.

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  4. Ruth, you are clearly a teacher through and through. I balk at poetry, but this gave me pause. Maybe even I could try it! Thx for the ideas.

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  5. I am going to try them all. Love it! my niece sent me one to try, 'I am from...' and then you list things like ancestry, social or economic background, places or whatever you want. It was fun.

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  6. I love this, Ruth! I am teaching poetry next term to Junior High School students and will use some of these as examples!

    On another note:
    My Haiku of Regret

    "I am so sorry
    To miss InScribe's Conference
    Wish I could be there!"


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  7. yeah for cinquains and diamantes! I teach English so these are always good ways to start a poetry class. they are fun but can also be quite profound

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  8. Loved the poetry. Glad it was a stretching challenge for you Ruth.

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  9. Thanks for your encouraging comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

    Bobbi, I smiled at your comment. Yes, I enjoy teaching. There's nothing better for me than to bring others along on my adventures of learning.

    Lynn, we'll miss you! Life is full of choices and we can't do everything.

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  10. Such a creative idea, Ruth! I think I'll try some of these. They are short and do-able :)

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