Kelly Bennett's Blog, page 63

Poetry Challenge #73-Contrapuntality of Life

I love music, love singing, love listening—am lousy at playing music. Yes, I’’ve tried. I took piano lessons from 13-17 and finally, when I could not grasp the concept of “chords” my teacher wrote me off as hopeless. But that doesn’t stop me! (My current challenge is a Uke.)

Poetry Challenge #73 Contrapuntality of Life Contrapuntal is defined as two or more independent melodic lines in music. You can write a contrapuntal poem by combining two independent poems—one line of one and then one line...

Poetry Challenge #72-World Read Aloud Day

Happy World Read Aloud Day! Poetry Challenge #72 World Read Aloud Day Let’s celebrate in style. For today’s prompt, instead of taking 7 minutes to write a poem, let’s read poems aloud. Grab a collection of poems, click over to one of the poetry links below, or if you’re feeling truly brave, flip back through your notebook and reread some of the poems you’ve written. Then, take a deep breath and read—aloud! To someone or something else. After all, poetry is best shared! Set the timer for 7 minut...

Poetry Challenge #71-Lists

January is a month of lists: resolutions, goals, projects, groceries.

Poetry Challenge #71 Lists You can write list poems over and over with different results every time. Begin with any topic and list things it makes you think of as quickly as you can. Next go through the list and pick out one or more things that stick out for you. Try making a list from the thing you picked out. What does that thing make you think of? Why did you pick it? Add detail. Use your senses. Play with rhythm or rhyme....

Poetry Challenge #70-Noises On!

For the last poetry challenge we explored the Sound of Silence, this time, let’s crank up the volume by focusing on noise. 

Poetry Challenge #70 Noises On! Visualize an event, a moment, an incident—either real or imagined. Now, close your eyes and listen to the sound of significant movements and/or actions happening in that moment. What sounds do you hear? Heart beats, water dripping, footsteps, maybe bells . . . Write a poem using these sounds. Try establishing a rhythm by repeating the sound...

Poetry Challenge #69-The Sound of Silence

I’m writing this from the middle of a snowstorm. Heavy snow blankets the ground, outlines the trees, and continues to fall. Schools and businesses are closed. There’s no traffic. The world is silent. And that got me thinking: what does silence sound like?

Poetry Challenge #69 The Sound of Silence Write a poem that’s filled with silence. What images make you think of silence? What can you see and not hear? Try using quiet sounds—s and l and w—for your words so your poem has a quiet sound to it....

Poetry Challenge #68-For Old Time’s Sake

Happy first 7-Minute Poetry Challenge of the New Year!

Did you sing Auld Lang Syne on New Years? Or maybe watched/heard it sung in scores of movies including, It’s A Wonderful Life, Charlie Chaplin’s The Goldrush, Harry Met Sally, Meet Me in St. Louis, Out of Africa, or, naturally, the movie New Year’s Eve?

If “yes,” then the first stanza and chorus of that iconic song is familiar—although you probably don’t actually “know” the words. According to a CNN report I googled (to be sure I had th...

Poetry Challenge #67-Are You Blue? or Green? or Purple?

End of the year-post/mid holiday crush check in time . . . Poetry Challenge #67 Are You Blue? or Green? or Purple? Look around the room. List as many things as you can see that are that color. Look again. Find one more. Pick one or more items on your list and write about them. What is it? Where did it come from? How long have you had it? Is it useful? Do you need it? Do you want it? When you’re finished, try to cut 10 words from your poem. Play with your word choices to add better sounds, rhyth...

Poetry Challenge #66-Blank in a Box

It’s that time of year! Porches all across America are heaped with boxes. Such tempting boxes. (Too tempting for some; more than one friend has had packages pilfered.) Ever wonder what’s inside those boxes? Let’s find out!

Powetry Challenge #66 Blank in a Box

Imagine a mysterious box on your doorstep. What’s inside?

For today’s prompt, begin by filling in the blank: I found a ___________ box . . .

With that as the first line, compose a five-line poem of one syllable words about what’s inside th...

Poetry Challenge #65-I Yam! Channeling Shakespeare/Popeye

William Shakespeare wrote 37 plays, 4 poems and 154 sonnets (that we know of). Of these, many of the plays and all 154 sonnets are written in iambic pentameter. Popeye guzzled spinach from the can and sang one truly memorable song, “I Yam what I Yam.”  

What do Shakespeare and Popeye have in common? I Yam!

“I Yam” as in I-Yam-bic Pentameter. Iambic meaning a two-syllable soft-hard beat foot: “I-am” or “I-Yam”; Pentameter meaning five metrical of these feet, thus creating that singsong rhythm...

Poetry Challenge #64-Got Bubbles?

Dec. 5th is a Red Letter Day on my calendar. It’s National Bathtub Party Day!

According to my go-to need a reason to celebrate site, National Calendar Day :

Bathtub Party Day was created as a way to skip the ordinary, everyday shower and to luxuriate in the pure pleasure of a good soak in the tub. 

HOW TO OBSERVE

Gather your favorite bath bomb, a good book and a glass of Moscato and let the worries of the day fade away while you relax in the tub.

— www.nationalcalendarday.com   Poetry Promp...