Think of the barbaric
yawp as the most
important thing that
must be said NOW.
1
Read and review issues raised in your novel.
If none come to mind, choose a character, a
problem encountered and how the problem
was solved.
What style will
your Yamp be
presented?
Character:
Steps to preparing your Barbaric Yawp
Problem
Resolution
poetic
OR
paragraph
persuasive
Issue:
The Subject:
2
The Barbaric Yawp
"I too am not a bit tamed - I too am
untranslatable;
I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of
the world"
Choose a subject that lends itself to "building upon" in more
detail. Maybe it is a physical place like your home town or your
favourite thinking spot. Maybe it is a broad subject like "love" or
"regret." Best to choose something you always find yourself
thinking about because you are sure to have lots of stored up
images and ideas.
How does it make
you feel?
What does it make
you do? (reaction)
Strongest emotion?
Think about the way
the barbaric yawp
breaks us free from
our usual limitations not just punctuation
and line length
from "Song of Myself," Walt Whitman
3
http://
poetryhandbookspring.blogspot.com/p/
exercise-five-barbaric-yawp.html
The point is to write as much as you can without
stopping. Force yourself to fill up an entire page
before you stop - and that means everything, the
margins and any blank space - be barbaric.
Hints and Suggestions:
1. Don't get caught up in punctuation;
Whitman shows urgency by leaving out
punctuation and sometimes not even
capitalizing.
2. String your images according to the
pattern you decided on.
3. Don't worry so much about sound and
rhyme at this point, just get the words onto
the page.
http://
www.thefreedictionary.com/
yawp
Start making a list of everything that comes to mind
when you think of this subject. Use single words or
phrases or even quotes if you can think of them.
4
5
Now start to organize and categorize - what can go with
what? What patterns do you see emerging or what pattern
do you want to apply?
Start writing "barbaric" lines- use lines that reach from one end of the
page to the next and don't stop with an image until you have nothing
else to say about it - and don't be too concerned with word choice.
Sound
familiar?
1
Look for pacing, making sure that your lines
are not lingering and too random!
2
Look for the pattern and make sure it is
working for you.