Poetry Examples

Examples:
1. Blitz (Good free choice option.)
2. Sonnet
3. Villanelle

The Blitz Poem is a poetry form created by Robert Keim.

1.       This form of poetry is a stream of short phrases and images with repetition and rapid flow.

2.       Begin with one short phrase.

3.       Begin the next line with another phrase that begins with the same first word as line 1.

4.       The first 48 lines should be short, but at least two words.

5.       The third and fourth lines are phrases that begin with the last word of the 2nd phrase.

6.       The 5th and 6th lines begin with the last word of the 4th line, and so on, continuing, with  each subsequent pair beginning with the last word of the line above them, which establishes   a pattern of repetition.

7.       Continue for 48 total lines with this pattern.

8.       The last two lines repeat the last word of line 48, and then the last word of line 47.

9.       The title must be only three words, with some sort of preposition orconjunction joining the first word from the third line to the first word from the 47th line, in that order.

10.   There should be no punctuation.

11.   When reading a BLITZ, it is read very quickly, pausing only to breathe.

Bucket of Poetry
by Robert Keim

Kick the can

Kick the bucket

Bucket of chum

Bucket of worms

Worms in dirt

Worms in my brain

Brains in my head

Brains in my book

Book of lies

Book of secrets

Secrets in the chambers of the human heart

Secrets in the diary of my teenage sister

Sister of mercy

Sister in a habit

Habit of swearing

Habit of smoking

Smoking gun

Smoking outside

Outside of the box

Outside of what is normal

Normal people

Normal days

Days and nights

Days upon days

Days of storms

Days of no power

Power to the people

Power over people

People who need people

People on the streets

Streets of Philadelphia

Street sweeping

Sweeping under the rug

Sweeping her off her feet

Feet grinding your face

Feet sweating in old shoes

Shoes for the homeless

Shoes for rich women

Women who want

Women who need

Need a change of scenery

Need to stop

Stop needing

Stop reading

Reading poetry

Reading poetry

Poetry takes

Poetry gives

Gives…

Takes…

Learning to Write a Sonnet

The sonnet form is old and full of dust

And yet I want to learn to write one well.

To learn new forms and grow is quite a must,

But I will learn it quickly, I can tell.

And so I sit, today, with pen in hand,

Composing three new quatrains with a rhyme.

The rhythm flows like wind at my command.

The A-B-A-B form consumes my time.

But I’m not done until there’s fourteen lines.

One ending couplet, after three quatrains.

I’ve tried to write this new form several times.

The effort’s huge; I have to rack my brain.

But I persist, my fourteen lines now done.

I wrote my poem; my sonnet work is won.

by Denise Rodgers

Villanelle:

Runaway

Why do they runaway?
My soul so beautiful, so bright
But for some reason I keep them at bay

Sometimes I wish they would stay
They give up on me without a fight
Why do they runaway?

Some think I am pretty, I say I’m okay
Though this doesn’t feel right
But for some reason I keep them at bay

What can I do, what can I say?
What causes their flight?
Why do they runaway?

Just when I think I’ve won their heart, they stray
I feel like the farthest planet in the night
But for some reason I keep them at bay

What have I done to chase them away?
My soul beckons to them like a beacon of light
Why do they runaway?
But for some reason I keep them at bay