From Prose to Poetry:
Found Poems
Vocabulary
Free Verse
Condensed language
Tone
Vocabulary
Free Verse- poetry with no specific rules or set structure
Condensed language
Tone
VocabularyFree Verse- poetry with no specific rules or set structure
Condensed language- powerful language w/o filler words
Tone - author’s attitude or feeling toward the subject
Found Poems: Example• There was a change in the weather for the
worse. The air became unbearably humid and Stanley was drenched in sweat. Beads of moisture ran down the handle of his shovel. It was almost as is it was so hot that the air itself was sweating. A loud boom of thunder echoed across the empty lake and he could tell there was a storm way off to the west, beyond the mountains. Stanley could count more than 30 seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. That was how far away the storm was. Sound travels a great distance across a barren wasteland.
THINGS TO COME:
• A change
• for the worse.
• air became humid
• beads of moisture run down
• the shovel,
• the air was sweating.
• thunder echoed
• across the empty lake…
Step 1: Select Text
Pick prose with descriptive language
Dialogue
1-2 paragraphs
Step 1: Select Text• There was a change in the weather for the
worse. The air became unbearably humid and Stanley was drenched in sweat. Beads of moisture ran down the handle of his shovel. It was almost as is it was so hot that the air itself was sweating. A loud boom of thunder echoed across the empty lake and he could tell there was a storm way off to the west, beyond the mountains. Stanley could count more than 30 seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. That was how far away the storm was. Sound travels a great distance across a barren wasteland.
Step 2: Choose WordsRead the text and look for 50-100 words that stand out
Details
powerful or interesting words
Words that convey the tone of the text
Avoid articles or “filler language”
Step 2: Choose Words• There was a change in the weather for the
worse. The air became unbearably humid and Stanley was drenched in sweat. Beads of moisture ran down the handle of his shovel. It was almost as is it was so hot that the air itself was sweating. A loud boom of thunder echoed across the empty lake and he could tell there was a storm way off to the west, beyond the mountains. Stanley could count more than 30 seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. That was how far away the storm was. Sound travels a great distance across a barren wasteland.
Step 2: Choose Words• There was a change in the weather for the
worse. The air became unbearably humid and Stanley was drenched in sweat. Beads of moisture ran down the handle of his shovel. It was almost as is it was so hot that the air itself was sweating. A loud boom of thunder echoed across the empty lake and he could tell there was a storm way off to the west, beyond the mountains. Stanley could count more than 30 seconds between the flash of lightning and the clap of thunder. That was how far away the storm was. Sound travels a great distance across a barren wasteland.
Step 3: Arrange List
Make a list of the words you found
keep in order
Double Space
Step 3: Arrange List• change in the weather for the worse
• air became unbearably humid
• drenched in sweat
• Beads moisture ran down handle shovel
• air itself was sweating
• loud boom of thunder echoed across empty lake
• storm off to west
• beyond the mountains
• count more than 30 seconds between flash of lightning clap of thunder
• Sound travels great distance across barren wasteland.
Step 4: Eliminate
Dull, Unnecessary words
Cut out at least 1/4 of the words
make sure everything remaining matches the subject/tone
Step 4: Eliminate• change in the weather for the worse
• air became unbearably humid
• drenched in sweat
• Beads moisture ran down handle shovel
• air itself was sweating
• loud boom of thunder echoed across empty lake
• storm off to west
• beyond the mountains
• count more than 30 seconds between flash of lightning clap of thunder
• Sound travels great distance across barren wasteland.
Step 5: Adjust Words
Rearrange if necessary
Change tenses, possessives, plurals
Can add 3-4 words
Step 5: Adjust Words• change for the worse
• air became humid
• Beads moisture ran down shovel
• air was sweating
• thunder echoed across empty lake
• beyond the mountains
• 30 seconds between flash clap
• Sound travels great distance across barren wasteland.
Step 5: Adjust Words• A change for the worse
• air became humid
• Beads OF moisture RUN down the shovel
• THE air was sweating
• thunder echoed across the empty lake
• beyond the mountains
• THIRTY seconds between flash clap
• Sound travels great distance across barren wasteland.
Step 6: Adjust StructureLine Breaks?
Punctuation?
Rhythm?
Key Words?
Bold or Italics?
Step 7: Title
a word or phrase
Conveys tone
Subject
Review:1. Select text
2. Choose Words
3. Arrange List
4. Eliminate Words
5. Adjust Words
6. Adjust Structure
7. Title