Friday, March 23, 2007
Contest
A while back I mentioned having a contest to give away my shrinkwrapped second copy of Best New Poets 2006. Well, here it is!
The contest is simple: suggest a poem-writing exercise you think I (or anyone) should do. It can be as simple or as complex as you want--any kind of prompt, be it subject matter or form or words to use or words to omit or combinations of things. The only restriction is that it must be an exercise designed to actually result in a poem draft.
Post your suggestion in the comment field. Have fun with it. The contest will be open at least until Monday, and maybe longer depending on the interest. Up to three suggestions per contestant.
The winner will be the person whose exercise suggestion I decide to use (naturally). The winner receives Best New Poets 2006 and The Eleventh Muse 2006. I will post the draft result of the exercise on the blog.
Okay, let's hear those exercises!
The contest is simple: suggest a poem-writing exercise you think I (or anyone) should do. It can be as simple or as complex as you want--any kind of prompt, be it subject matter or form or words to use or words to omit or combinations of things. The only restriction is that it must be an exercise designed to actually result in a poem draft.
Post your suggestion in the comment field. Have fun with it. The contest will be open at least until Monday, and maybe longer depending on the interest. Up to three suggestions per contestant.
The winner will be the person whose exercise suggestion I decide to use (naturally). The winner receives Best New Poets 2006 and The Eleventh Muse 2006. I will post the draft result of the exercise on the blog.
Okay, let's hear those exercises!
Comments:
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The Challenge:
Write a poem that uses human anatomy. You must use the technical terms for three body parts and relate them to something larger than the body. Love may not be mentioned. Extend the three body parts or their technical terms into metaphors. Not clichés, though. Tie the body parts together through words and metaphor, but be concrete, as well. I was going to make this really fun and say no Latin words allowed, but that might make it too hard. Bonus points for using "gastrocnemius" and "dendrites". A million bonus points for knowing the plural form of "gastrocnemius." Last rule: the title of the poem must contain the word "quiz." Go.
Write a poem that uses human anatomy. You must use the technical terms for three body parts and relate them to something larger than the body. Love may not be mentioned. Extend the three body parts or their technical terms into metaphors. Not clichés, though. Tie the body parts together through words and metaphor, but be concrete, as well. I was going to make this really fun and say no Latin words allowed, but that might make it too hard. Bonus points for using "gastrocnemius" and "dendrites". A million bonus points for knowing the plural form of "gastrocnemius." Last rule: the title of the poem must contain the word "quiz." Go.
Opposites:
Pick a published poem you don't know well--something from a journal or poetry daily, or a book on your shelf. Start with the first word and write down its opposite. Then the next. Then the next. Don't worry about syntax yet, or even sense, just worry about trying to find the opposites. This sounds easier than it is. What, for example, is the opposite of fish?
When you've gone through the poem, put it away and address yourself to what you have on the paper.
There is nearly always something there around which a poem grows.
Pick a published poem you don't know well--something from a journal or poetry daily, or a book on your shelf. Start with the first word and write down its opposite. Then the next. Then the next. Don't worry about syntax yet, or even sense, just worry about trying to find the opposites. This sounds easier than it is. What, for example, is the opposite of fish?
When you've gone through the poem, put it away and address yourself to what you have on the paper.
There is nearly always something there around which a poem grows.
Okay. What you do is sit down and think of a first line. Something snazzy with a little bit of pop.
Example: Rushing brought small fingers
You then compose a poem using this first line as a template for the beginnings of the lines that follow. The skeleton of your poem would appear like this:
rushing brought small fingers
rushing...
brought...
brought...
small...
small...
fingers...
fingers...
The nice thing about this exercise is that it forces thought through a specific point but breeds a necessary attention to the rhythm of the poem to ensure that the line beginnings are well-hidden within the form. I call it: acrostic anaphora.
I think it will be all the rage.
Example: Rushing brought small fingers
You then compose a poem using this first line as a template for the beginnings of the lines that follow. The skeleton of your poem would appear like this:
rushing brought small fingers
rushing...
brought...
brought...
small...
small...
fingers...
fingers...
The nice thing about this exercise is that it forces thought through a specific point but breeds a necessary attention to the rhythm of the poem to ensure that the line beginnings are well-hidden within the form. I call it: acrostic anaphora.
I think it will be all the rage.
Write a poem that gives texture and humanity to a lurid tabloid newspaper story. E.g. this one I just stumbled across:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=444282&in_page_id=1879
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=444282&in_page_id=1879
Write a poem in which every line is a kind of inversion or opposite of the line that precedes it.
The first line can be a kind of inversion or opposite of the title.
(I say "a kind of" because you don't have to stick to pure opposites or negatives.)
Word Verification: eybowjow
The first line can be a kind of inversion or opposite of the title.
(I say "a kind of" because you don't have to stick to pure opposites or negatives.)
Word Verification: eybowjow
Three suggestions per contestant right?
Here's another exercise, this one is somewhat less authentic than my previous post.
Compose a cento using poems from numerous sources and make sure that the lines flow nicely with one another. Once the cento sounds like it works, go back and change some of the nouns, adjectives, and verbs to write your own poem.
As my professor said, "No one's got a copyright on syntax."
Here's another exercise, this one is somewhat less authentic than my previous post.
Compose a cento using poems from numerous sources and make sure that the lines flow nicely with one another. Once the cento sounds like it works, go back and change some of the nouns, adjectives, and verbs to write your own poem.
As my professor said, "No one's got a copyright on syntax."
If I'm totally cheating, its 'cause I really want the book and journal.
Write down a scene from your life in prose--as long or short as you want to make it. Pick 5 words that you like from the prose piece and throw the rest away.
Begin a poem with the words After that,
Use the 5 selected words, but try not to reference the scene in any other way
Write down a scene from your life in prose--as long or short as you want to make it. Pick 5 words that you like from the prose piece and throw the rest away.
Begin a poem with the words After that,
Use the 5 selected words, but try not to reference the scene in any other way
Take a poem you love, then work line by line to replace key words, phrases, images, etc., but retain the diction/tenor/lineation/"feel" of the original. What can end up happening is that you take the poem somewhere else entirely after maybe the first stanza, and this then becomes the new poem - but the spur of the original remains.Since you chose something you love, you can, if you're lucky, end up with something very satisfying.
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# posted by 
: March 30, 2007 11:22 AM
: March 30, 2007 11:22 AM << Home
