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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Welcome to April





Let's start National Poetry Month off right. I always love this month, for many reasons. When I lived in the frozen climes, it meant the possibility of a jonquil sighting (even though I learned to call them daffodils, jonquil always pops up first in my brain). When I was a school librarian, it meant the annual Poetry Assembly. Now that I sit in front of my computer and write all the time, I think it must mean I need to think POETICALLY.







And here are some excellent tips for writers and readers of poetry. For kids and grownups. For reviewers of books. (Hint: I plan to review MAY B., Caroline Starr Rose's new book, a novel in verse, and interview the author, very soon. Stay tuned!)

CLICK here for those excellent tips I mentioned.

Here's the first one.

1. Don’t be chained to rhyme. Rhymes drastically reduce word choices and can send poems in nonsensical directions. Think about what you really want to say in your poem and if you can’t say it with rhymes, ditch them.


I seem to have written a lot about poetry, in past Aprils.
For a few other posts, many with poems, type Poetry Month in my search box.
Or click here, for just one.

2 comments:

Barbara Watson said...

Every word of May B. was rich, needed, and perfect. When I read novels in verse, I'm amazed at how much is said in so few words.

Poetry writing exercises would enhance my own writing because in poems every word counts a little more than usual. Great thoughts here, Augusta.

Lee Stokes Hilton said...

I have fond memories of many Dodge Poetry Festivals about this time...