Your topic is: simplicity
Your form is: Tanka — five lines with or without syllable counting
1. short line / 5 syllables
2. long line / 7 syllables
3. short line / 5 syllables
4. long line / 7 syllables
5. long line / 7 syllables
Example:
Is the inlaid box
With a gilt hasp concealing
A letter, a jewel?
Within, a bunch of feathers,
The small bones of a bird.
~ Carolyn Kizer
For the poetry writers. Your topic is: a rusty chain. Your form is: three stanza of three lines each. The first word of the first line of each stanza must be the last word of the third line in the second and third stanza. The last one must scoop back around to the last line…
For the poetry writers. Your topic is: loss of power Your form is: cinquain Form layout: Line One – Two Syllables Line Two – Four Syllables Line Three – Six Syllables Line Four – Eight Syllables Line Five – Two Syllables Example by Adelaide Crapsey Listen… With faint dry sound, Like steps of passing ghosts,…
For the poetry writers. Even if you do not normally write poetry make an effort to complete this exercise. Your topic is: sugar cubes and broken tea cups. Your form is: sedoka.
Take out a fresh worksheet and finish these five statements about your parents. Don’t read past the questions until you have finished them: I would thank my parents for… It was never easy talking to my parents about… I get the following traits from my parents… My parents and I never agreed on… I always…
For the poetry writers. Your topic is: being lost (can be emotional or physical or both). Your form is: minimum of three stanzas of three lines each. Each a-line must start with a five letter word. Each b-line must start with the same letter. Each c-line must use the last word of a-line within it….
For the poetry writers. Even if you do not normally write poetry make an effort to complete this exercise. Your topic is: a ruthless man. Your form is: villanelle.