Poetry Exercise

This is the poetry exercise we did today in class....my brain still isn't working...hmmm

ENGL 495: Multigenre Literacy in Global Context
Poetry: Creative

Complete the following creative writing (poetry) exercises. 

1. Alliteration and Assonance Lists

Create a list of word pairs and phrases that are built around alliteration or assonance. Remember, alliteration is when words in close proximity start with (or contain) the same consonant sound (as in pretty picture). Assonance is when words in close proximity echo vowel sounds (bent pen). Try to come up with at least ten of each. 

Alliteration: Pink purse, bucking bronco, Beautiful brat, Crazy cat, Demented demon, Dirty door, She sales sea shells by the sea shore, Stupid stories, Breaking Bad, Dangerous dude,

Assonance:  dream team, boob tube, youtube, fright night, steep feat, mellow yellow, free tree,

2. Metaphors for Life

Make a list of significant life events – birth, death, graduation, marriage, having children, starting your own business. Next, come up with a metaphor for each of these events. Remember: a metaphor is when we say one thing is another thing. A simile is when we say one thing is like another thing.

Metaphor: Life is a dance.

Simile: Life is like a box of chocolates (as a metaphor, this would be life is a box of chocolates)

Tip: Choose metaphors that are visually interesting. Metaphors for life as a dance or box of chocolates are both concrete and easy for readers to visualize.

Death: Dying is the next big adventure

              Marriage:  Marriage is a marathon

                  Marriage is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle

Graduation:  A college diploma is a license for a job

                    Having Children:  Having children is climbing Mt. Everst

                      Having children is like the movie Nightmare on Elm Street

Staring  your own business:  starting your own business is a nightmare

                                              Staring your own business is like poker

                              

3. Lyrics and Musicality

Choose a catchy song that you enjoy and rewrite the lyrics, but stick to the rhythm and meter. Try to go way off topic from what the original lyrics were about. You can play the song while you work the exercise or search for the lyrics online and use those as your baseline. The idea is to get your mind on the musicality in your writing.

This is to the tune of "Little Sister" by Elvis Presley

Brownie sundae, don’t you

Brownie sundae, don’t you

Brownie sundae don’t you taunt me with your fudge,

And say your very nice

 for me to eat

Brownie sundae, don’t you

Make me eat your fudgy self

I walked into the town market

To pick up a new bowl

when I passed the deli

Dancing on the counter

You tried to get me to eat you

Whenever I need to eat something

You want my attention fast

I can’t eat what’s easy

I need what is healthy

But just this one time will do

Well I ate you for my breakfast

When I was a little kid,

Now that I’m much older,

We can’t be such good friends

Diabetes is what you will give me