Poetry Writing tips and Challenge for April

The A and I Poetry challenge is jointly hosted by Amanda and Ineke and is open to everyone, from complete beginners to advanced writers or aspiring poets. The challenge will run from March to October, 2018.  We will share tips, offer a monthly prompt and post link backs to your published Poetry posts.

Please scroll down to see April’s poetry writing tips.

Instructions for joining are on the Poetry Challenge Page. You are very welcome to enter.

You can write any kind of poem that you like, as the prompt is merely a suggestion. Write in any language you like; it certainly doesn’t have to be in English. As this is a joint challenge with Ineke, she will also post the challenge in Afrikaans on her blog, so if that language suits you better, visit her here.

N.B. Please leave a comment here if you wish to be included in the Ping backs for this month.

 

Poetry Challenge – April Prompt:

Write a poem that begins with the last thing you can remember someone saying to you yesterday. So if you can use that line two to three times throughout your poem.

 

Here is my Poem for April, inspired by Anie, who is one of my lovely readers: –

 

Anie’s Rain

Like raindrops falling on to glass, I can not fight this force

that propels me forward to the end.

Like raindrops falling on to glass, it is fruitless to fight

what I cannot control.

Like raindrops falling on to glass, each journey individual, different from another.

Some hurry, sliding past, more sort of slow and steady,

one might falter at the start, coalesce or lose identity in groups,

Softly seductive, their lifetime short, imprint merely temporary,

All one substance.

One end.

~ Amanda

 

I can’t wait to read what you come up with this month. Don’t forget to link back to this post, on your poetry submission post, and leave a link and comment here so Ineke, Amanda and others can find your post.

 

Poetry Tips

• Write poetry as often as you can.
• Designate a special notebook (or space in your notebook) for poetry writing.
• Embrace metaphors but stay away from clichés ( I find this especially difficult!)
• Don’t be afraid to write a bad poem. You can write a better one later.
• Don’t back away from your thoughts or feelings. Express them!

 

Poetry Techniques –  Metaphor and Simile

Whilst there are many different styles for writing poetry, you may find one or more works for you. No matter what style or techniques you use, a poem can reach people in ways that other text can’t. It might be abstract or concrete but often it conveys strong emotions. Some common techniques used in poetry are onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, rhyming, simile and metaphor. Using metaphor and similes will bring imagery and concrete words into your writing.

The difference between simile and metaphor is explained here:

A metaphor is a statement that pretends one thing is really something else:

Example: “The lead singer is an elusive salamander.”

This phrase does not mean that the lead singer is literally a salamander. Rather, it takes an abstract characteristic of a salamander (elusiveness) and projects it onto the person. By using metaphor to describe the lead singer, the poet creates a much more vivid picture of him/her than if the poet had simply said “The lead singer’s voice is hard to pick out.”

Simile

A simile is a statement where you say one object is similar to another object. Similes use the words “like” or “as.”

Example: “He was curious as a caterpillar” or “He was curious, like a caterpillar”

This phrase takes one quality of a caterpillar and projects it onto a person. It is an easy way to attach concrete images to feelings and character traits that might usually be described with abstract words.

[Credit: Relo Pakistan]

Note: A simile is not any better or worse than a metaphor. The point to remember is that comparison, inference, and suggestion are all important tools of poetry; similes and metaphors are merely one of the tools in your poetry writing toolbox that will help.

Amanda ~

Something to Ponder About