April Poetry Challenge and Poetry Tips
The A and I Poetry challenge is jointly hosted by Amanda and Ineke and is open to everyone, from complete beginners to advanced writers or aspiring poets. The challenge will run from March to October 2018. We will share tips, offer a monthly prompt and post link backs to your published Poetry posts.
Please scroll down to see April’s poetry writing tips.
Instructions for joining are on the Poetry Challenge Page. You are very welcome to enter.
You can write any kind of poem that you like, as the prompt is merely a suggestion. Write in any language you like; it certainly doesn’t have to be in English. As this is a joint challenge with Amanda and me (Ineke), I will also post the challenge in Afrikaans on my blog, so if that language suits you better, visit me here.
N.B. Please leave a comment here if you wish to be included in the Pingbacks for this month.
Poetry Challenge – April Prompt:
Write a poem that begins with the last thing you can remember someone saying to you yesterday. So if you can use that line two to three times throughout your poem.
Here is my Poem for April,
Same time, same place
My good friend Jan and I
Same time; same place
Tuesdays every week
For about two years now
Same time; same place
Morning tea meeting
And greeting.
Drinking, eating
Coffee and Almond cake for Jan
And
English breakfast tea plus
Savoury sconce for me.
Chatting
Exchanging ideas
Great friendship.
Always the day before
Same time; same place
Just making sure
not to miss out.
Ineke 2018
I can’t wait to read what you come up with this month. Don’t forget to link back to this post, and leave a link and comment here so Amanda and Ineke can find your post.
Poetry Tips
- Write poetry as often as you can.
- Designate a special notebook (or space in your notebook) for poetry writing.
- Embrace metaphors but stay away from clichés ( I find this especially difficult!)
- Don’t be afraid to write a bad poem. You can write a better one later.
- Don’t back away from your thoughts or feelings. Express them!
Poetry Techniques – Metaphor and Simile
Whilst there are many different styles for writing poetry, you may find one or more works for you. No matter what style or techniques you use, a poem can reach people in ways that other text can’t. It might be abstract or concrete but often it conveys strong emotions. Some common techniques used in poetry are onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, rhyming, simile and metaphor. Using metaphor and similes will bring imagery and concrete words into your writing.
The difference between simile and metaphor is explained here:
A metaphor is a statement that pretends one thing is really something else:
Example: “The lead singer is an elusive salamander.”
This phrase does not mean that the lead singer is literally a salamander. Rather, it takes an abstract characteristic of a salamander (elusiveness) and projects it onto the person. By using metaphor to describe the lead singer, the poet creates a much more vivid picture of him/her than if the poet had simply said “The lead singer’s voice is hard to pick out.”
Simile
A simile is a statement where you say one object is similar to another object. Similes use the words “like” or “as.”
Example: “He was curious as a caterpillar” or “He was curious, like a caterpillar”
This phrase takes one quality of a caterpillar and projects it onto a person. It is an easy way to attach concrete images to feelings and character traits that might usually be described with abstract words.[Credit: Relo Pakistan]
Note: A simile is not any better or worse than a metaphor. The point to remember is that comparison, inference, and suggestion are all important tools of poetry; similes and metaphors are merely one of the tools in your poetry writing toolbox that will help.
Amanda did all the writing. Thanks to her for doing the hard work.
Enjoy “testing out” the challenge.
Ineke
For more info visit my March post here:
https://scrapydo2.wordpress.com/2018/03/01/a-and-i-poetry-challenge-first-months-poems/
March Challenge poems
Thanks, Hester for doing the challenge in Afrikaans and English
https://www.hesterleynel.co.za/2018/03/09/aandipoetrychallenge-march-2018-this-day/
5 April: I forgot to press publish! Sorry all!
I scrap 2 