Poetry Assignment # 3: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
For this assignment, I want you to pick a poem you have read that you particularly enjoy or admire. Type
up or bring a copy of the poem to class. Additionally, I want you to compose a poem of your own that is
inspired by the one you have chosen. See if you can imitate the poet’s sense of style, imagery, theme, etc.
If you have chosen an older poem, try to put a modern spin on it by drawing upon images and subject
matter from our twenty-first century existence. Below are some examples:
This is Just to Say—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.
Student Poem
This is just to say
I used
the last of
the gas
in your car
you will probably be in
a rush tomorrow
and won’t have
time
to refill the
tank
I’m sorry
but I had
no money
and I so
detest the
smell of gas
on my
hands
Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock—Wallace Stevens
The houses are haunted
By white nightgowns.
None are green,
Or purple with green rings,
Or green with yellow rings,
Or yellow with blue rings.
None of them are strange,
With socks of lace
And beaded ceintures.
People are not going
To dream of baboons and periwinkles.
Only, here and there, an old sailor,
Drunk and asleep in his boots,
Catches tigers
In red weather.
Disenchantment at the Dance --Student Poem
The dance is crowded
With blue denim.
There are no dresses
Of shiny, red satin
Or shimmering silk.
No bright feathered hats
No rhinestone buttons.
People aren’t dancing
The foxtrot or cha cha.
Only, once in a while,
A few underclassmen
In T-shirts and jeans
Clap their hands
Shuffle their feet.