I call this lesson 5 x 7. Make a list. Don’t think it over very long, just quickly brainstorm 5 each of the following items:
5 nouns, 5 adjectives, 5 verbs, 5 things that are green, 5 emotions, 5 sounds, 5 locations
You can obviously swap these around to 5 of something else. I’ve done different colors, foods, animals, the weather, etc. You can also build your own brainstorming set by jotting these things down on scraps of paper and keeping them in labeled baggies then draw words out of them to build a poem. But for now, let’s just brainstorm. And once you have your brainstorm, the idea is to write a poem using at least 1 word from each of your 7 categories.
Here’s my brainstorm. You can use mine for your poem or brainstorm your own.
5 nouns
dog bird water wind photograph
5 adjectives
tired sweet hot confused excited
5 verbs
race plunge pluck simmer look
5 things that are green
fern leaf pickle mallard artichoke
5 emotions
happiness love worry envy lonely
5 sounds
birds chirping bubbling water rock country music playing in someone’s backyard snoring dog bees buzzing
5 locations
under the Japanese maple tree on the roof at the park home on the couch
And here’s my quickie rough draft of a poem:
Dog races down the garden path
then stops to plunge her head
deep into a nest of ferns
sleeping beneath the Japanese maple tree
to roust a lazy lizard
who dives down and away from chomping jaws
I envy her simple pleasures
slurping water from the bubbling rock
bothering bees as they buzz around the garden
snoring in the sun
important lessons I should let her
teach me
I think I’m likely to come back and play with this draft and either expand the idea or perhaps chop it way back to a haiku.
Your turn.
SOLITUDE
What a most glorious day
Nowhere else I would rather be
Than on a blanket relaxing
Under a tree after the summer rain
What a wondrous sight before me
With a rainbow cascading across the sky
Dingoes were howling in the distance
Laughing out aloud to myself
As no one was around to hear
I needed the solitude
to release my anger and fears
though I was not alone
horses were galloping birds were singing
Although I could still feel
a sense of stillness
The paddock glistening
with raindrops on tufts of grass
I found myself dreaming
I was on an island far away
Eating grapes and sipping martinis
I was awakened by the dog
nestled beside me
Animals have such unconditional love
As I realised I was comfortable
With who I am and who I want to be
– Anne McKenna
Another job well done, Anne. I love that you reached that satisfaction at the end.
Let me know if you want some revision tips. 🙂
If you want to go back and revise this poem, here are some things to think about:
Can you be more specific? I know how much you love those horses – can you show me a single horse so I can see it too? Can you add some smells?
Also, see if you can revise to eliminate some of the words ending in “…ing” I think you might find that makes them even stronger.
My mind simply refused to do the exercise properly, but this is what your prompt inspired – more of a list than a poem. It would be fun to see what ideas others have for purple.
Five Colors of Purple
Hope harbors the purple of dawn.
Pride shares a Purple Heart.
Pain shouts from purple bruises.
Rage revels in popping veins and purple face.
Foreboding seeps from purple curtains closed on night.
ellie
Ellie I think it is wonderful if the prompt inspired you to go in a different direction. That’s the whole idea, to just get writing.
Love the images I am getting from this poem and that last line gave me chills!