Writing Exercise 18: Have-a-Go Poetry

This exercise is a bit different. I’m providing a pattern for an 8-line rhyming poem in which some words at the ends of lines are provided and the rhymes are also set out. See if you can write a poem that fits this pattern. Keep the lines fairly short and even - aim at 7-10 syllables a line (4 to 5 beats).

 Line 1 ____________ (must rhyme with “day”)
Line 2 ____________ flower
Line 3 ____________ (must rhyme with “deep”)
Line 4 ____________ try
Line 5 ____________ deep
Line 6 ____________ (must rhyme with “try”)
Line 7 ____________ (must rhyme with “flower”)
Line 8 ____________ day

 When you have a first draft, read it aloud. See if you can add to the effects by varied punctuation (not just or always at the end of the lines).

 If you can, ask someone else to provide four words and see if you can write another poem to the same pattern but with different rhymes.

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