Category: The Poet’s Pen

Poetry, Poetry Everywhere – Poetry Topics

Post author By Lisa E. Betz
Post date February 13, 2019
No Comments on Poetry, Poetry Everywhere – Poetry Topics

Sometimes poets are asked, “Where do you find things to write about?” Everything is a possible subject, although there are some topics you might want to refrain from tackling. Below is a list that offers some ideas for your next poem.

Possible poetry topics

Describe something. Paint a picture with words – mountains, a stream, a new vehicle, etc.
A response to something – a rebuttal about something directed at you or a cause you support.
The scent of something – baking cookies, cinnamon, roses, hay, etc. It could also be a bad scent such as decay or death, the smell of medicine or a hospital. Along with scent don’t forget the other senses of touch and taste. Think of the creamery coldness of ice cream or the feel of silk.
A special occasion such as Christmas, a birthday, an anniversary.
An emotion – love. hate, fear, excitement, joy, etc. 6
Someone you love. Children make good subjects.
A pet or other animal. Describe its fur, eyes, teeth, or intelligence.
A color, its scent, how it makes you feel. What would the color look like if it were a person?
Religion or a lack of.
Personify a disease. For example, describe arthritis as an old man.
Ravages of time, an age. This could be a place or a person reflecting on his life.
Write about your first something – kiss, job, child, pet, etc.
Look to history – select a time or historical subject to write about.
Books can offer inspiration. For example, the Bible is full of great ideas.

Have fun. Use the above suggestions to spark your own poem.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes middle grade novels. She believes that there is a story in every dog. In her spare time she takes care of 1 husband (of 40 years), 29 dogs and trains with TALLAO, K-9 SEARCH AND RESCUE. Visit her at From the dog pen.com

Tags Creative Ideas, generating ideas, poetry, poetry topics, The Poet's Pen, writing ideas, writing poetry

The Poet's Pen

Just for Christmas

Do you have a favorite Christmas poem? I’ve always liked “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” I hope Mr. Moore will forgive the liberty I’ve taken with his poem.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD WRITE!

Twas the night before my deadline, while all through the house
The only creature stirring was a computer mouse;
The papers were lined up by the printer with care
In hopes that “The End” would soon be there.
The pages were covered with a hundred red marks
While in my head were visions of a soft bed in the dark.
And Pops in his recliner, and I on the couch
Had just settled our brains for a quick little nap
When out at the dog pens there arose such a clatter
I sprang from my couch to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash
Tore opened the shutters and tripped on the trash.
The moon on the crest of the new melted snow
Gave vision to the mud holes scattered below.
When what to my wondering eyes should pop up
But a mother dog and eight tiny pups
She was a little old doggy so lively and quick
I knew in a moment she was up to tricks.
More rapid than a whippet, hungrier than the hounds,
She whined and cajoled the pups until they came round
And she barked and called them by name
“Now! Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer, and Vixen,
On Comet, on Cupid, on Dunder and Blixen.
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now come away, come away, come away all!”
Then up on the porch they came very fast
Gobbled all the dog feed, every crumb to the last
They were chubby and plump, like a jolly little elf
And I laughed when I saw them in spite of myself
With a wink of her eye and the twist of her head
She soon led them to know they has nothing to dread
As soon as they finished, she nudged them with her nose
And giving a nod, they all arose
She sprang to the ground and I heard them bark as they moved out of sight.
And I shouted “Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Write!”

Tags Christmas, famous poems, poems, poetry

The Poet's Pen

Giving Thanks

There are many ways to show gratitude and writing a Thanksgiving poem is the way many have expressed themselves over the years.

“The New England Boy’s Song About Thanksgiving Day” written by Lydia Maria Child in 1844, is one of the most well-known poems of thanksgiving. (Although, you might recognize it as the song “Over the River and Through the Wood,” published in 1897.)

The poem describes a sleigh-ride through the snow. It begins with, “Over the river, and through the wood to grandfather’s house we go”.

Other well-known Thanksgiving poems include: “The Pumpkin” by John Greenleaf Whittier (1850); “No. 814” by Emily Dickinson; “Fire Dreams” by Carl Sandburg; and “Thanksgiving Time” by Langston Hughes.

The Bible also has thanksgiving verses, many of them poems. The books of poetry are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.
This year as you prepare for Thanksgiving why don’t you try your hand at writing a Thanksgiving poem.

Give Thanks in Everything
by Darlo Gemeinhardt

You see dirty dishes in the sink,

But I see the wonderful meal we had.

You see dog hair on the couch and floor,

But I see pets offering unconditional love.

You see piles of dirty clothes to wash,

But I see we have clothes to wear.

You see an old crippled body,

But I see someone who has had a long life.

You see kids who need a bath,

But I see the future.

You see the overall messiness and confusion,

But I see family.

You see the need to hurry away,

But I see the need to give thanks.

Tags forms of poetry, poem, poems, short poetry, Thanksgiving, writing poetry

The Poet's Pen

COME AND LISTEN TO A STORY – What is a Ballad?

Post author By Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor
Post date October 13, 2018
No Comments on COME AND LISTEN TO A STORY – What is a Ballad?

A ballad is a form of poetry that alternates lines of four and three beats, often in quatrains, rhymed a-b-a-b, and usually tells a story. A narrative song that was passed down orally was called a folk ballad.

Tags ballads, Darlo Gemenhardt, songs, The Poet's Pen, www.almostanauthor.com

The Poet's Pen

What Makes A Good Poem?

All writing is about “words” but poetry uses concise words in a concise order. One word in a poem can make a drastic difference in how the poem is perceived. Sometimes changing one word can make or break a poem.

Look at the following example from THE EAGLE by Alfred Lord Tennyson

He clasps the crag with taloned hands (my version) or–

He clasps the crag with crooked hands (the way Tennyson wrote it)

Do you see how much smoother Tennyson’s version reads?

Which of the following two poems by an anonymous writer do you think is better?

A
The spoken or written word
Should be as clean as a bone,
As clear as is the light,
As firm as is a stone.
Two words will never serve
As well as one alone.

B
The written word
Should be clean as bone,
Clear as light,
Firm as stone.
Two words are not
As good as one.^[1]

A Good Poem:

comes from the poet’s heart.
touches your heart.
makes you want to read it again…and again.
like the Bible, each time you read it you see/learn something different.
creates a new image by juxtaposing different things together.
uses clear, memorable, concrete images
tells a story.
creates a world inside the poem

The next time you write a poem, think about how the words fit together. Try replacing a word of phrase with a different one to see which one is better.

^[1] Perrine, Laurence, LITERATURE Structure, Sound, and Sense, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., New York, 1970. p.565.

Tags art of poetry, poems, poetry, word choice, writing poetry

The Poet's Pen

Numbered Poems

This month I thought we might do something different and fun. I want you to write an 81 word poem with one word on the first line, two words on the second line, three words on the third line and so forth. You will end up with 17 lines total. The lines can rhyme or not. It doesn’t matter. Your poem should tell a story or give us a glimpse into something.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A DOG AND CAT

Dog (1)
has fleas (2)
making him itchy (3)
causing him to bark, (4)
and bark, bark, and bark (5)
only after playing in the hay (6)
and then chasing Cat up a tree. (7)
When night comes you’ll find Dog and Cat (8)
snuggled with each other under the soft comfy covers (9)
dreaming of bones, and mice, and goodies galore. (8)
And as the new day breaks early, (7)
Dog stretches and yawns, Cat purrs (6)
both ready to go out (5)
and start everything over (4)
again and again. (3)
Dog has (2)
fleas (1)

There’s no end to the variations you can do with this: Alternating the number of words per line. 6,7,8,1,2,3,6,7,8 You get the idea.

Email me your poems. I would love to share them on my website.

Tags forms of poetry, poems, poetic forms, poetry, writing poetry

The Poet's Pen

Is Your Poem in Shape?

Carmina Figurata or shaped stanza is a picture poem—a poem that forms a picture. In “CAROUSEL” by Jan D. Hodge, the poem forms the shape of a carousel horse. This is an illustration of positive shaping. A shaped poem can describe the object and is shaped like it.

When the poem fits around a shape it is negative shaping.This is illustrated by the poem, “THE VIEW FROM KHUFIT’S TONGUE” by Walter H. Kerr. the negative space form the shape of a mountain.

“CLIMBING THE TOWER AT PISA” by Richard Frost as you might guess forms the ape of the Tower of Pisa. The poem is read form the bottom up.

Create a simple shape with simple words until an idea takes shape. Play with the words. Don’t force the image. Have fun with it.

The following poem is an example of a shaped poem. For obvious reasons I call it “PAW PRINTS.”

Tags form, picture poem, poem, poetry, shape, structure

The Poet's Pen

Novels in Verse – Poetry for the Reluctant Reader

Post author By Lisa E. Betz
Post date June 17, 2018
No Comments on Novels in Verse – Poetry for the Reluctant Reader

Have you ever thought of taking your poetry one step further by writing an entire novel in verse?

What is a Verse Novel?

Verse novels combine poetry with story. Works such as the Iliad and the Odyssey and Vergil’s Aeneid are considered epic poems even though they are book-length. Epic poems are on a grand scale but nevertheless, they are still poems. Verse novels may consist of one long poem or shorter collections of poems but they still tell a story. Prose focuses more on story and character while poetry centers more on imagery and language.

I haven’t been ambitious enough to try a verse novel yet (except for a picture book), but since I write middle grade novels I decided to see what were the highest recommended middle grade novels in verse.

In researching, several verse novels consistently popped up on every list of suggested books. These lists included:

Love that Dog – Sharon Creech

A boy finds his voice with the help of a teacher, paper, pencil and a dog.

Out of the Dust – Karen Hesse

In the dustbowl of Oklahoma, a young girl must come to terms with a terrible accident that left her unable to play the piano.

The Crossover (The Crossover Series) – Kwame Alexander

Follow the antics of twin basketball stars.

Brown Girl Dreaming – Jacqueline Woodson

Catch a glimpse of what it was like to grow up as an African-American in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Caminar – Skila Brown

This story was inspired by true events that happened during Guatemala’s civil war.

Inside Out and Back Again – Thanhha Lai

The story is inspired by the author’s experience fleeing Vietnam after the fall of Saigon when she immigrated to Alabama.

The Red Pencil – Andrea Davis Pinkney

See the horror of Darfur told through the eyes of a twelve-year-old refugee.

Home of the Brave – Katherine Applegate

The story of a young African boy, the only survivor of his family who is sent to America to live while he waits to find out the fate of his mother.

Little Dog Lost – Marion Dane Bauer

The story of a dog who needs a new owner, a boy who need a dog, and a neighbor who need a family and how they all come together.

Mountain Dog – Margarita Engle

A boy learns about unconditional love for the first time.

Parents might consider one of the above books or one of the many others available if they have a reluctant reader. Verse provides a way to entice a child to read. Try a verse novel with your reluctant reader.

Tags Middle Grade, novels, poetry, reluctant readers, verse

A Pinch of Poetry The Poet's Pen

How Do I Love You? Let Poetry Lead the Way by Darlo Gemeinhardt

Post author By Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor
Post date February 12, 2018
No Comments on How Do I Love You? Let Poetry Lead the Way by Darlo Gemeinhardt

February is the month that has the honor of hosting Valentine’s Day, also called Feast of Saint Valentine, an annual holiday celebrated on February 14th. Each year over a billion Valentine cards are purchased.

The oldest known valentine still in existence is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Love poems can be written in any form such as a sonnet, sestina, or free verse. They can be romantic, sweet, or heartfelt. Some of the most famous love poem include:

HOW I LOVE THEE by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

A RED RED ROSE by Robert Burns

LOVE’S PHILOSOPHY by Percy Bysshe Shelley

THE SONNETS by William Shakespeare.

For some real inspiration turn to the Bible. 1 Corinthians 13 in The Message says,

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.

Love doesn’t strut,

Doesn’t have a swelled head,

Doesn’t force itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”

Doesn’t fly off the handle,

Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn’t revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Take the time to look these and others up. Read them and be inspired. And this Valentine’s Day, instead of buying a card, why not try your hand at writing a love poem for that special person in your life.

Maybe you’ll write something profound like:

Roses are Red
I’ll be blue
If I can’t spend
Valentine’s Day with you.

I think it needs a little work. But, you get the idea.

Darlo writes MG Novels. She believes that there is a story in every dog. In her spare time she takes care of 1 husband (of 40 years), 29 dogs and trains with TALLAO, K-9 SEARCH AND RESCUE. www.fromthedogpen.com

Tags Almost an Author, Darlo O. Gemeinhardt, poetry, Valentines Day