The reluctant poet

The Reluctant Poet Workshop

Ideas

with Jeni Mawter

What is a poem? Poetry is about sharing

an experience, idea or feeling.

Poems are written with words chosen for their sound and beauty as well as their meaning.

Speed WritingDon't worry about spelling, punctuation,

grammar or handwriting.

Keep your hand moving.

Don't cross out.

Lose control.

Go for the jugular.

Don't think. Don't get logical.

Speed Writing Remember …

You can’t get this wrong.

Silence your voices of doubt.

Any thought is a good thought.

Hot Tip 1 Write first about the things closest to you —

yourself

your family

friends

pets.

A List Poemthe writer is telling you something

There’s a beginning and an end, like in a story

The list is arranged so it is pleasing to the ear and eye.

‘What Bugs Me’ poem

When someone is always complaining.

When there’s no bread to make toast.

When I can only find one shoe.

When the alarm doesn’t go off.

When the kids fight.

When someone is late for dinner.

When I lose my keys.

‘I Can’t Write a Poem’

I can’t write a poem.It’s dumb.I can’t rhyme.My head is empty.I don’t know what to write.I hate poetry.I can’t write a poem.

An Apology Poem To My Mother

I am sorryfor laughingwhen your tooth fell outand you lookedlike a witch. And for makingYou stick it Back on your plate with bubblegum . Even when I gave you the super-glueI was bubblinginside.

Word Associations

Red roses

Red face

Red sunburn

Red angry

True story

True lies

True false

True to you

Word Associations Write a list of associations for each word.

happy soft tall sleepy

Leapfrog PoemsSwimming pool

pool cold

cold toes

toes blue

blue lips

lips shiver

Bus stop

stop that

that cat

cat splat

Hot Tip 2 Don't worry about trying to make your poem rhyme.

RhymeWilliam Shakespeare’s rule …

When you write something serious do not use rhyme, but if you want to make people laugh use rhyme.

Free verse is a poem that does not rhyme.

Unscramble the letters to find a type of poem that rhymes.

RICE MILK

Parody Take a well-known poem

Jeni Mawter having fun

My tummy grumbles

Echo

throughout the classroom

Feed me. Feed

me. Now!

and make fun of it.

with haiku ...

When teacher enters

Scurrying and

hurrying

Bottoms land on seats.

Parody

Nursery rhymes are fun to parody

Little Miss Tuckett sat on a bucket,

eating some peaches and cream.

There came a grasshopper which tried hard to stop her,

but she said, ‘Rack off or I’ll scream.’

Parody Exercise Choose

from the list and write a parody poem. .

Three little kittens

Three blind mice

This little piggy

Jack and Jill

Humpty Dumpty

Georgie Porgie

Baa baa black sheep

Ding dong dell

Hot Tip 3 Don't expect to get your poem right the first time.

Questions http://literatureliveoz.blogspot.com

www.jenimawter.com