Free verse poem:
In this assignment, we will be doing exactly the same thing we did in the Haiku assignment: we will be writing a poem about a specific moment, trying to show (instead of telling) what that moment was like by using visual and other sensory details--that is, imagery--to paint a verbal picture of the moment.
The difference is, instead of using the restrictive form of Haiku, all bets are off: this will be a Free Verse--in other words, it will have whatever form you choose to give it. Note: you may not use rhyme or meter. But apart from that, however you structure the poem is up to you.
However, here are some guidelines for your poem's form:
Format: The poem should be single spaced, flush left (in other words, not centered or formatted in any unusual way) in Times Roman 12.
- Your lines should be uniform in length--that is, all the same length, more or less.
- You need to use punctuation in the poem the same way you would in prose. (Errors in punctuation will "count" in the grade.)
- The poem should have a title that suggests what its theme is. The words in the title should not be repeated in the poem.
- In fact, you should avoid repetition entirely within the poem.
- Practice using enjambment: that is, if a sentence starts in one line, continue it to the next line. Don't feel that each line should be a sentence: for the most part, it shouldn't.
- Practice ending each line on a significant word or thought.
- MS Word will want to capitalize the beginning of each line. Don't let it.
- Now about content:
- As I said, the poem should be about a specific moment, the way the haiku was. It should be a real moment from your life. (This will help you give the poem a sense of emotional connection.) However, be aware that for the reader, the moment does not have the kind of emotional associations it does for you, so choose carefully and try to create visuals that help the reader connect to the experience--just as you did in the haiku.
Do not tell a story; instead, show what is happening in the poem's present. (We will write narrative poems later in the semester.)
Use visual and other sensory images to help us picture the scene and experience it as vividly and significantly as you did when it happened.