Ordinary Things: Poetry Exercises

Today as a class we will read Ralph Fletcher's book Ordinary Things. After reading, I would like you to review your journal for the field trip exercise we did last class.

Task: You will write 5 different drafts of poems. Some of you might end up writing more than that. That's okay. The more you write, the more choices and practice you will have.

Choose topics that you wrote on your list. It is important to separate reality with what you think or feel about the subject. Write a poem having to do with each subject you choose.

Some tips:
1. Remember to use poetic techniques that you already know about:

• metaphor
• simile
• symbol
• alliteration
• assonance/consonance
• onomatopoeia
• personification
• stanza
• anaphora

2. Poetry is about word choice. Make your verbs active and your nouns specific.

3. Try to create a form or metrical rhythm to your poems

4. Say something significant. Poetry is at once personal, but speaks of the universal. Use models from favorite poets to help you if needed.

5. Hate poetry? Think about writing in prose, then cut your prose into lines. Try using enjambment or meter to avoid obvious cadences.

If you get stuck, try unsticking by completing some brainstorming techniques. Take a look at a few helpful websites dealing with brainstorming poetry.

Scholastic
Persistence Unlimited
The Writing Center

Don't have any objects to write about? Not about to go for a walk and look? Stop complaining. Try these:

• Alarm Clock or clocks in general
• Pond
• Ducks
• Leaves in Autumn
• Pumpkins
• Dining room chair
• An empty wrapper
• Snow
• Licorice

HOMEWORK: Please post a response to our forum for Elaine Terranova's poetry. The post is due by Sunday, September 18 by 11:59. If you do not have access to a computer, write your response today or tomorrow in the creative writing lab.

Also, please write at least 5 DRAFTS of poems. If you have completed five by the end of class and want to write more, do so.

Creative Writing Forum Rubric

Throughout the year we will be using the forum as a way of practicing critical thinking and writing. Arguments and issues posted on the forum may be further examined by the class in discussion. The appropriate craft of writing terms and vocabulary of literary techniques will be discussed in class. The forum is the "playground" in which to try out your new "words" and ideas found in the reading you do for class.

Student writing should develop and organize ideas in clear, coherent, and persuasive language. Attention to precision and correctness is necessary. Try to avoid over-generalizations or repeating the arguments of others when commenting or critiquing texts.

Literary and Reader Responses on our forum will be graded using the rubric as follows:

5 (A): Wide ranging and effective vocabulary is used with denotative and connotative resourcefulness. Response shows an in-depth and accurate understanding of the text. Use of critical thinking and imaginative insight propels this response to an exemplar of fine literary criticism. Sentence structure is used artfully and effectively. Response uses specific and accurate rhetorical strategies and poetic techniques that balance illustrative detail taken from the text or passage. It is clear insight and effort went into the response.

4 (B): Effective and appropriate vocabulary is used to some success, although there may be some gaps or areas in need of improvement. Author uses some critical strategies, but these are not as thorough or insightful as above. Sentence structure is varied, but writing may contain grammar, syntax, logical fallacies, or rhetorical errors in part. Some attempt at illustrative detail, but writing is not as precise, accurate, or effective as scores indicated above. Some insight and effort went into response.

3 (C-C+): Appropriate literary vocabulary is used, although not as insightfully as responses above. Response shows a surface-level understanding of the text. Overall, these responses parrot other students or illustrate only a basic understanding of the work in question. Sentence structure needs improvement. Errors in grammar, syntax, logical fallacy, or rhetorical strategies weaken the logos, ethos, or pathos of this response. Textual detail is over generalized. Little insight or effort went into response.

2 (D): Literary vocabulary is lacking or used incorrectly. Response is muddled, unclear, or shows misunderstanding or misreading of a text or passage. Little or no new insight in the response. Writing is carelessly done or indicates below-grade-level prose style. No textual details used to support thesis. Very little effort went into response.

1 (F): Written Assignment on forum is missing. No work turned in by deadline

Elaine Terranova & the Forum

Mary Oliver is right. She agrees with many other poets who say the same thing. In order to write poetry, you should read poetry. Well, please read Elaine Terranova's poems this weekend. You will be expected to write a writer's response to these poems on our Classroom Forum next week. To set up the forum, please click on the link and sign up to join the forum.

Generating Ideas for Poetry

The major themes of writing include love, death, and life. But these are pretty broad topics. Sometimes it's helpful for a writer to think about what he/she COULD say about a particular subject. Starting with a theme to get an idea can be helpful.

Exercise: With your partner and then in your journal, brainstorm and create a list of themes that you could be writing about. Try to list as many themes as you can think of that writers write poems about in your journal.

Once you have a good, solid list of themes (brainstorming), spend some time reading a few poems on this website: PoetSeers (A-M) and PoetSeers (N-Z)

Reading other people's poems are also an excellent way to brainstorm your own ideas. If you think of a topic or subject to write about when reading some other poet, jot down the idea in your journal. The more ideas you think of, the more "urge to write" and "creativity" will visit you. Make the date with them!

The Writing Process

All writers go through a similar writing process. The five basic steps are examined below:

 1. Coming up with an idea: Generating raw material, freewriting, journal exercises, reading, life experience, choosing the gem among the rocks, (expanding and exploring the idea), getting stuck and moving on.

• Every time we get stuck in a piece of writing, it is helpful to go back to this step 

2. Writing the first draft: Composing and structuring, experiment with technique, decide on a genre, decide on the best structure to tell the story. write.


3. Revising: developing meaning, rereading your work to look for a deeper meaning, sharing your work in a readers’ circle/workshop, getting feedback and response, revision: transforming, rearranging, expanding, cutting.

• Often writers will revise as they write their first draft. It is a good idea at some point to focus ONLY on revision. Professional writers often revise a draft upwards of 10-20 times, if not more.

4. Editing: Fine cutting (cutting unnecessary words and paragraphs), line by line editing, reviewing word choice, proofreading for errors.

• Again, writers often edit while composing. Editing is making strong decisions as to what to include and what to cut. The craft of writing, grammar skills, and writing skills are helpful during this process.

5. Publication: Preparing the manuscript for public perusal, sending your manuscript out to publishers, The rejection letter/the acceptance letter, working with an editor/agent/publisher, publication.

• Writers hope to reach this stage, but realize that not all pieces may find their way to publication. Until then, they circle the revising/editing/drafting/brainstorming stage. 

Please note and learn this process. We will be discussing it all year and for the rest of your life.

Enemies of the Artistic Process Exercise

Enemies of the Artistic Process

Writing is difficult. But knowing who or what is keeping you from completing your writing can be helpful. Read about the various types of "enemies of the artistic process" and then complete the writing exercise below IN YOUR JOURNAL or NOTEBOOK!

The Procrastinator
• Don’t put off tomorrow what can be accomplished today. If you always push away your impulse to create or write, you'll never be inspired. Soon, this becomes crippling.
o The Procrastinator says:
• “You can just write tomorrow or the day after or the day after….”
• “You should write after you get all your other work done.”
• “You have too much to do right now to write.”
• “Write after your life gets back to ‘normal’.”
• “Hey, what’s that over there…coffee!”

The Victim
• Bottom line: stop making your lack of a creative life the fault of someone or something else other than yourself. You are in the driver's seat. If you want to write, you will (and you'll be good at it!)
o The Victim says:
• “My family doesn’t understand or appreciate me.”
• “My teachers are too demanding and fill my life with stress.”
• “My friends demand all my time and attention.”
• “I’m going through a tough time and can’t think to write.”

The Talker
• Don’t talk excessively about your idea/writing until it’s done. Writing is, by nature, a lonely and introspective art. Writing is not speaking. Talking is not writing.
o The talker says:
• “Hey, I’ve got a great idea for a story—want to hear it?”

The Critic
• Every artist (even a successful one) has to deal with this guy sooner or later. He is an emotional vampire that sucks all the joy of creating away. Don't be too critical on yourself. Art is expressive but it is also junky and rambling sometimes, and that's okay.
o The critic says:
• “That’s a stupid idea.”
• “This is going nowhere.”
• “This sucks!”
• “You can’t write!”

The Judge
• For everything there is a season. Being too harsh with yourself is not productive. Thinking that writing is a waste of your time is also not productive.
o The Judge says:
• “You should be doing something more meaningful with your time.”
• “How dare you sit there and write when there’s stuff to be done!”
• “Your family and friends need you more than your art!”

The Perfectionist
• Nothing in this world is perfect. & "to err is human." We all make mistakes. A draft of our writing may not be what we want it to be, just like our children or parents--but it does no good to expect perfection all the time in anything. With practice comes skill. With skill comes art. Crafting is all about making new choices, but nothing is ever perfect--especially art.
o The perfectionist says:
• “It’s not good enough.”
• “I’ll never be a writer!”
• “No one will like my story/poem!”
• “I can’t show this to anyone or they’ll think I’m stupid.”

ASSIGNMENT (complete in class today): When you write, which enemy of the artistic process would you say is your biggest enemy? Choose the enemy you feel causes you the most problems. In your journal, write a "hate" letter to your chosen "enemy". Go ahead and "blast" them, tell your enemy that you are not going to take their "crap" anymore. Be ruthless! Tell it like it is! Be creative!

Then believe your letter. Don't let your enemy win!

Welcome Back!

Welcome back, class of 2014. Glad to see you! I hope all of you had a productive, safe, and enjoyable summer. Well, gosh, let's get back to work!

First a few housekeeping things. You can find our course criteria sheet on my teacher website (check link to the right).

Please check this blog each class period for agendas, deadlines, educational information, advice, and a whole lot of links to enhance your education. All you have to do is read and click. The more you take advantage of this tool, the easier it will be to help you improve and craft your writing. There's some good advice here, you just have to pay attention.

If you're absent or missed something in class, please check the blog to get caught up. As stated above, each new class period includes a new post. If you have a question about an assignment and are too embarrassed to speak to me in public (or you have a question that you think you will forget to ask), feel free to use the comment section.

New on our link page is a link to our Creative Writing Forum. You will be expected to use the forum to discuss the major reading and thematic topics in this course. Electronic forums save paper. You are keeping the world green by posting responses and reflections there.

Today, after updating our passwords, logging in, and going over the finer points of the course criteria, we will get started writing. We'll start by reading Mary Oliver's advice to writers, then follow the directions for the post above this one. If you finish early, please read the selection of poems listed here. This is also homework if you don't get to it today in the lab.

Please read the following poems:

Phenomenal Woman 
My Love is a Red, Red Rose
These Are the Thoughts
Where the Sidewalk Ends
Moment of Life
Let America Be America Again
Umbilical Town
America
Hallelujah
The New Poetry Handbook

In groups of 2, identify what the subject OR theme is for each poem. Write ONE complete sentence for each poem, identifying the theme or subject. Hand your observation in at the end of class with your name(s) on the paper.

CLASSWORK: Please complete the reading of the poems above. If you read these with a partner, stop after each one and discuss what you liked about the poem or writing (even if you just like the title or theme). Hand in your paper for credit at the end of class for participation credit.