Writing Exercise: Limited Freedom
Let's face it. Sometimes you need help getting started. This is a great, simple exercise you can do to summon the muse. All you need is a dictionary and imagination.
Pick 15 random words from the dictionary, preferably nouns.
Then use 8 to 9 of those words in a 14 line poem.
The beauty of this exercise is you can play around with your own 'limits.' I usually pick 12 words and use 6 to seven in a 10 line poem, which often ends up being the beginning of a 25 line poem. I promise you will be amazed at how it works. Just try it. Of course the rules are made to be broken. This is just to give you a jumping off point.
So, the assignment:
Use 8 of the following words in a 14 line poem:
grenade
bathrobe
volcano
blade
scarf
bride
pencil
bicycle
horse
drugstore
button
garbage truck
veranda
bruise
Indigo
peach
Extra Credit if you can work in: a body part, the name of a town, and the name of a real person (living or dead)
Happy Writing. I'll post mine when I've written it.
Pick 15 random words from the dictionary, preferably nouns.
Then use 8 to 9 of those words in a 14 line poem.
The beauty of this exercise is you can play around with your own 'limits.' I usually pick 12 words and use 6 to seven in a 10 line poem, which often ends up being the beginning of a 25 line poem. I promise you will be amazed at how it works. Just try it. Of course the rules are made to be broken. This is just to give you a jumping off point.
So, the assignment:
Use 8 of the following words in a 14 line poem:
grenade
bathrobe
volcano
blade
scarf
bride
pencil
bicycle
horse
drugstore
button
garbage truck
veranda
bruise
Indigo
peach
Extra Credit if you can work in: a body part, the name of a town, and the name of a real person (living or dead)
Happy Writing. I'll post mine when I've written it.
posted by Aimee | 1:29 PM
5 Comments:
Bruise, Indigo. I like those. It's a nice list you've got going Ms. Mackovic.
I am a horrible reader. I thought it said use all of those words in a 14 line poem. Woah, those would be some long-ass lines!
Well, the following poem doesn't meet all the rules exactly, but it's close anyway!
Gwen
"Bruises"
Some come
by touch,
hard as grenades
or scarf-soft,
but some come
from no hurt
that you can feel,
just from
waiting all evening
on the indigo
veranda, fazed
as a peach,
rotting
from within
Here's a website that will generate random words for you. It does done at a time. Just click the refresh button to get another one.
http://www.zokutou.co.uk/randomword/
Hey Aimee! Here's my poem:
The indigo sounds of summer
are moving through the peach stand
It is evening, and the bride
stands alone, with her white scarf
billowing around the bicycle
In her eyes the volcano smoulders
The bruise on her arm echoes that pain
Anyone passing in this quiet would see,
from the way her body kisses the breeze,
the longing that burns her soul
Yet she is confused -
a bathrobe has just fallen from
above, landing at her feet in a sullen heap.
She sees it as a sign, and weeps.
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