I find myself once again focused upon  the theme of rhyming couplets. There are some important elements involved in writing couplets. Couplets consist of two lines of rhyming verse and they possess a set metre/meter.  Simply put, metre/meter is a poetic device providing a sound pattern that gives the written words a rhythmical and melodious sound. A famous example of this is the following  traditional English-language nursery rhyme in the form of a riddle : As I was going to St.Ives, I met a man with seven wives. Shakespeare also made frequent use of rhyming couplets, as in this example from 'Hamlet.'                The time is out of joint, O cursed spite              That ever I was born to set it right! Here are some tips that might prove useful in writing rhyming couplets: Start with the word you have chosen to end your first line and then find a rhyming word to end line two. Now, write th...

Poetry is an extremely flexible writing form. It is easily weaved into our writing programs across the year as opposed to just being pigeon holed into a specific unit of work. Poetry offers a unique response to literature -fiction or non fiction. Such is the flexible nature of poetry.  From an early age children have much exposure to a significant amount of rhyming verse.  That our classrooms are filled with poetry that is enjoyable to listen to, or fun to read is important, but it may not necessarily provide the best starting point for inexperienced poetry writers. When used skilfully rhyme can add to the lyrical nature of poetry. When it is used out a sense of expectation, it frequently serves to detract from the poem's intention. It weakens the words overall. If you listen closely you can hear the words clunking into place. They just sound like they don't belong. Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-rhyme. In fact, I have to guard against over using it. It is a nat...

Today I want to celebrate the poetry of Hilaire Belloc, another poet I recall from my school days. Our teachers often read his poems to us to remind us to behave ourselves otherwise horrid things might befall us. Apart from intriguing poems, with such a distinctive name, Hilaire Belloc was hard to forget. Born near Paris, France, on July 27, 1870, Hilaire Belloc was raised in England, but remained a French citizen until 1902.  He is best known for his poetry anthology,  ‘Cautionary Tales for Children (1907)  It was a collection of satirical tales of caution based on the popular tales of the 19th century. Belloc wrote his cautionary poems in rhyming couplets. They were gruesome and funny at the very same time. Many of the children appeared to have a strong wicked streak about them.  Belloc is also known for his illustrated 1896 children’s book, ‘The Bad Child's Book of Beasts.’  It was a collection of poems that gave humourous advice to child...

Learning To Love Line Breaks When you are writing a poem it is important to keep in mind that line breaks are as important to free verse poems as end rhyme is to a poem written in rhyming couplets. You should aim to keep the words that belong together on the same line. You may wish to emphasize a word or a phrase by placing it on a line all by itself. By carrying the word over to the next line it may add a greater degree of suspense or surprise to the poem. You may arrange line breaks in your poem to create a visual effect with regard to the shape of the poem. If there is a repeated refrain, it might help to isolate those important words on a line each time, to draw greater attention to them. On other occasions, it just feels right to break the lines in a certain way. Don’t be afraid to experiment. To help you gain some experience with line breaks, I invite you to take these deconstructed poems and recreate them using your own line breaks. Have fun… ...

It is April and that means National Poetry Month in the USA ! I vividly recall during my six years living and working in the US how schools went into poetry mode each April. I found this focus on poetry left me in a quandary. I love poetry, so this national focus on poetry was something that greatly impressed me. It brought this ancient genre to centre stage and I considered that was something our Australian schools could learn from. Poetry in such a supportive environment began to shed its elitist cloak. It became accessible to the broader school population. However, something began to gnaw away at me as each successive April celebration unfolded. I became concerned that in the minds of many educators poetry was being constrained to a single month in the school calendar. I wanted to encounter poetry across the school year, but it seemed tightly confined to the month of April in the minds of many. I wanted poetry to pop up unexpectedly; at various times of the school day, and i...

Try this as a simple word generating idea for poetry that is achievable! It involves using rhyming couplets and the construct of 'synonyms' Weird Bizarre, strange, and spooky thing Any book by Stephen King! Green Meanies Spinach, beans and siverbeet Three green vegies kids won't eat! Wrathful Thoughts Anger, vengeance,violent rage Viper words scratched on a page