This is Just to Say
By William Carlos Williams
I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox
and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast
Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold
Blizzard
By William Carlos Williams
Snow falls:
years of anger following
hours that float idly down –
the blizzard
drifts its weight
deeper and deeper for three
days
or sixty years, eh? Then
the sun! a clutter of
yellow and blue flakes –
Hairy looking trees stand out
in long alleys
over a wild solitude.
The man turns and there –
his solitary track stretched out
upon the world.
Write about a time you had to ask somebody you care about to forgive you for something (“This is Just to
Say”) OR use nature/weather to describe your emotions during a particular situation.
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TURN THIS PAPER OVER FOR THE NEXT PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT!
Now, use this experience to write your own version of “This is Just to Say” OR “Blizzard” poem. Your poem will
be a PARODY, meaning that it must be similar in FORM. It should have the same title as the original poem and
it should be the same length as the original poem.
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Concrete Poetry
Concrete poetry, or shape poetry, is poetry with a visual appearance that matches the topic of the poem. The
words form shapes which illustrate the poem's subject as a picture.
This needs to be completed on blank white paper (no notebook paper).
1. Choose an object to be the subject for your poem. Think about your favorite animal, favorite
possession, sport and/or sport equipment, etc.
2. Lightly draw a simple outline of its shape on paper.
3. Write your poem normally and don't worry about fitting it into the shape right now. Try to describe
how the subject makes you feel and/or what it looks like. The words will eventually fit into your
drawing. You should have 20-25 lines for your poem :)
4. In pencil, lightly write your poem into the shape. It's ok if it doesn't fit properly yet, because this is
where you find out if you need to make the writing larger or smaller.
5. Decide if you need to make your writing bigger or smaller in certain parts of the drawing. Then erase
your first draft and write out the poem again. You can keep doing this until the poem completely fills
the shape.
6. Finally, go over the words of your poem in pen (or marker, or colored pencil...) and then erase all the
pencil marks.
Or, if you so choose, you may create your poem on the computer. You will spend more time spacing the words
to fit the shape you want, but changing the size of the writing will be easier...
"Idea: Old Mazda Lamp, 50-100-150 W" By John Hollander
Luna
You
were my
first dandelion
wish, my cotton
candy kiss, and sweet
lullaby. Â With you nested
in the palm of my hand,
we became one with the night,
ruling over the stars in the sky.
You have been my guiding light
through sleepless nights, my
muse, and friend, always
lending a listening ear, and
offering your soft, glowing
light to ease my fears.
You are my warm,
goodnight moon,
Luna.
Copyright 2003 Marie Summers
Swan and Shadow
by John Hollander
Dusk
Above the
water hang the
loud
flies
Here
O so
gray
then
What
A pale signal will appear
When
Soon before its shadow fades
Where
Here in this pool of opened eye
In us
No Upon us As at the very edges
of where we take shape in the dark air
this object bares its image awakening
ripples of recognition that will
brush darkness up into light
even after this bird this hour both drift by atop the perfect sad instant now
already passing out of sight
toward yet-untroubled reflection
this image bears its object darkening
into memorial shades Scattered bits of
light
No of water Or something across
water
Breaking up No Being regathered
soon
Yet by then a swan will have
gone
Yes out of mind into what
vast
pale
hush
of a
place
past
sudden dark as
if a swan
sang
By JoAn Early Macken
By Jason Lin 2012