PLAYING WITH
POETRY
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liebe by Pierre Aziz
es gibt keinen platz für dich in meinem traum
es gibt keinen platz für dich in meinem raum
es gibt keinen platz für dich es gibt kaum platz für dich
es gibt einen platz für dich es gibt nur
platz für dich
es gibt nur
dich
es gibt
dich
gib
dich
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Jump Cabling
by Linda Pastan
When our cars touched
When you lifted the hood of mine
To see the intimate workings underneath
When we were bound together
By a pulse of pure energy, When my car like the princess
In the tale woke with a start, I thought why not ride the rest of the way together?
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Teaching Poetry
You could write a poem telling how to eat spaghetti, how to ask for a date, how to
sharpen a knife, how to let go of grief, or even how to write a poem. Or you could take it
to extremes: how to prevent global warming, how to kiss a snake, how to become dust.
This can be serious or lighthearted, genuinely helpful or intentionally misleading. It may
help to assume that your reader is completely naive and has no understanding of the
process. William Carlos Williams's "Tract" could be considered a "how to" poem, as
could David Wagoner's "The Principles of Concealment."
Keep your poem between 9 and 21 lines long, with at least two stanzas.
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Take a Snapshot
Make a word photo of someone you know, not a formal portrait, but a quick candid
shot of the person engaged in some characteristic activity--your brother playing with his
Lego blocks, or your best friend serving a tennis ball, for instance.
Edwin Arlington Robinson wrote many poems that resemble snapshots,
including "Aaron Stark." Maurya Simon's "The Fishermen at Guasti Park" also
has such a snapshot feel about it, as does Lucille Clifton's "miss rosie."
In your snapshot include some reference to an animal, a color, a time of year, a
tool, or an article of clothing. Be sure to include plenty of concrete, specific
details. Avoid abstract or emotional language as much as possible. Focus on
getting a clear image of the subject. Your finished poem should be no more than 12 lines long.
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