Poetry Challenge #265-Eugenio Montale's Eyes
It's Italian poet Eugenio Montale's birthday, born 10/12/1896. As well as being a poet, Montale worked as an accountant and loved to study literature, languages, and music. He was studying to be a baritone in operas when WWI began. After serving in the war, he became a journalist and wrote many articles about literature, music, and art for the largest paper in Italy, as well as writing his own poetry and essays and translating the works of others, including T.S. Eliot.
In 1928, Montale became the director of a library but was fired ten years later because he refused to support the fascist regime during WWII. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1975.
Below is Montale’s poem, “Bring Me the Sunflower” translated by Charles Wright. As in this example, his poems usually dealt with nature. He often addressed someone who wasn’t there. He was a fan of writing in café’s and of the objective correlative—an object that carries meaning.
Poetry Challenge #265
Through Montale’s Eyes
To honor Montale, write a poem to another person without saying who the person is. Explain something to that person. Include nature and an object that holds some special meaning or a memory or feeling.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just write It!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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Poetry Challenge #264-Judith Kerman by Definition
October 5th is bling-ringed on my calendar—in metallic pens with sparkles—and always has been as it’s my big brother Joe’s birthday and my recently departed mother-in-law, Adele’s birthday. Add to that BIL Paul, SIL Ryan, on the 6th & 7th respectively, and Grandboy Jack on the 11th. Libras all—born under the “idealistic Air Sign.” It’s written, and is true of them all, that “you will hardly come across a Libra who is anything but nice.”
“For me, poetry is at least partly a visual and musical art form. Or at least, it comes out of those parts of my mind.”
Poet and Artist, Judith Kerman, born under a Libran sun, also on Oct 5th, is likewise probably very “nice.” (I’ve just “met” her through poems and Google-search). Judith was born in Bayside, NY and still lives in NY. Her favorite authors include Mary Oliver, Robert Haas, Umberto Eco, Herman Melville and Ursula LeGuin; she identifies as “Disabled, Feminist, Jewish;” and has published at least 10 Chap Books as well as translated several volumes of Spanish Caribbean poetry and fiction by women.
Poetry Challenge #264
As Defined By
Judith Kerman poems are totally “Libra” in that they explore fairness, social justice, meanings of things in a “nice” way.
What’s a “Nice” way? Instead of telling us what to feel, they offer definitions of a word and so let/invite/lead readers to draw our own conclusions as in her poem “air.”
Ala Judith Kerman, choose a word, any word and define that word in a poem. You might choose a more abstract word, as Judith did in “Air” or you might choose a concrete word as in her poem, “Elephant.” (Scroll down for the YouTube of Judith reading “Elephant.”)
Include as many possible definitions of the word as possible—feel free to use a dictionary. And bust out with your own definitions of the word.
Form-wise you might choose to simply list definitions ala Webster, as in “Air,” or shape them into Free Verse as in “Elephant,” or choose some other poetic form.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just Define It!
Find out more about Judith Kerman at her Facebook page.
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #263-Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
We’re shaking things up the week so we can celebrate Shel Silverstein’s Birthday, September 25, 1930…1931...1932…some year around then (at some point Shel refused to give more interviews and forbade his publishers—and everyone else—from revealing more personal info.) That alone is worth celebrating, right? What we do know is that Shel Silverstein, known most-well to us as an author, playwright, and poet, a self-proclaimed lousy baseball player, former Comiskey Park hot dog vendor, started out drawing comics for Playboy Magazine and writing country songs, one of which, “Boy Named Sue,” is Johnny Cash’s all-time best-selling single! Shel Silverstein passed away in 1999, but through his poems, stories, songs, lives on.
Poetry Challenge #263
Upside-Down, Backwards, Sideways Shel
Here is one of Shel Silverstein’s poems from his collection A Light in the Attic, called “Backwards Bill”. While reading it, can’t you practically see how the alliterative BBs in that name “Backwards Bill” was the driving force behind that poem. But why stop there?
In honor of this rule breaking, risk taking, rhyme making poet, let’s push alliteration as far as we can go by crafting a Tautogram! A quick search didn’t turn up any of Shel Silverstein’s tautograms but can’t imagine he never tried his pen at one. So…This one’s for you Shel!
What’s a Tautogram you ask?
Tautogram, from the Greek words, “tauto” meaning same and “gramma” meaning letter, is a puzzle of a poem in which every word starts with the same letter.
That’s it! That’s the only rule!
Variations on a tautogram include: creating a poem where each line or stanza starts with the same letter and that letter changes from line to line or stanza to stanza.
Tautograms are not meant to be “serious” literature, they are written for fun. So have at it and have fun!
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Reward Time: Click over to listen to Shel Silverstein on the Johnny Cash Show!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #262-State of Mind
It seems like every week there’s a National “State” Day. With 50 States in these United States, not to mention all the other geographically defined states in the world, it makes sense! There are lots to states to celebrate. This National State Day , Sept 22, 2022 . But which state you ask?
It could be a physical “state” but… it could also be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”… it all depends on your state of mind. we dare to ask the tough question: Which state? It could be the “state of denial” or the “state of unrest” or maybe the “state of disarray”…sometimes it all depends on your state of mind. . .
Poetry Challenge #262
State of Mind
Today let’s honor the state you live in.
Make a list of things you like best about your state.
They might be products your state is known for or facts about your state, or they might be special things only you notice.
Write a postcard poem, inviting people to visit the best state.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
In the spirit of Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind,” try setting your state poem to music!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #261-Kidding Around
It’s National Parents’ Day Off (Sept 14th)! Can you imagine how excited your parents are today?
National Parent’s Day Off was established in 2021, but EPIC! A digital library. Why? “Parenting can be challenging and messy; that’s why parents should get ready for an EPIC BREAK!”
While that is absolutely true, what’s happens to the kids? Enter that Cat in the Hat!
Poetry Challenge #261
Kidding Around!
Imagine your parents really take the day off. What doesn’t get done? What happens because of that? What would you miss the most?
Write a poem about one of the things your parents wouldn’t do. Or write a list poem of all the things.
Try to include how these missing tasks would make you feel.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #260-Grandma Moses Me Anytime!
If anyone ever calls me a “Grandma Moses” I won’t bop them on the head with a broom. No way! I’ll smile and say, “Thank you, kindly!”
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, aka “Grandma Moses” spent all of her 101 years tootling around in the same few square miles called Eagle Bridge, New York.
But, to paraphrase George Baily, folks did a lot of living and dying in her corner of Washington County and at is aptly called “ripe” age of 78, Grandma Moses began seriously painting what she saw…her way!
Happy Grandma Moses Day (Sept 7th)!
Before we rush into our prompt, Here’s more from Bennington Museum, which houses the largest publicly owned collection of Grandma Moses’ work.
Poetry Challenge #260
Just Like Grandma Moses
Take a good long gander at one of Grandma Moses paintings below. Take a moment and transport yourself into the painting, to that time, that place…into Grandma Moses’ world.
Write a poem inspired by that painting.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Luckily Grandma Moses’s spirit is preserved in interviews like these. Click on!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #259-Catch Me a Catch
What are Dolly Madison, Yente, Headhunters…Literary Agents…best at? Matchmaking. Bringing people projects and products together! Without them many of us would be living little lonely unfulfilled—literarily-speaking anyway—existences. And I’m not the only one who believes this for today, August 31st is National Matchmaker Day, an entire day dedicated to celebrating Matchmakers who bring us together to help make happy endings happen.
Tzeitel! Hodel! Chava! Sing it Sisters: Matchmaker! Matchmaker! Make me a match/find me a find/catch me a catch…
Yente from Fiddler on the Roof , music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein,
Poetry Challenge #259
Catch Me a Catch
Peanut Butter and Jelly; Fried Chicken Feet and Movies; George and Gracie; Green Eggs and Ham—someone back in some long-forgotten time decided that these things would go together. Happy Endings!
Now it’s your turn. You are the Matchmaker in this prompt.
Your job is to bring two seemingly unconnected things together in a poem. For inspiration here’s an effort by Pablo Neruda:
Set the Timer for 7 Minutes!
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it!
Amy and Mona, this one is for you!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .
Poetry Challenge #258 Waffling
The largest waffle ever made weighed in at 50 kilograms, (110 pounds, 3.68 oz).
Tallest stack of waffles ever made stood 67 centimeters (2.19816273 feet) tall.
There are 1963 Waffle House Restaurants in the United States. (As of Aug 24, 2022)
Why do you need to know this?
Because it’s National Waffle Day (Aug 24th)!
While I’m pretty sure they mean the kind you eat, let’s think about another meaning of the word. Let’s think about when when you waffle between decisions.
Poetry Challenge #258
Waffling
Have you ever wanted to do two things at the same time but you had to pick one?
Have you ever held up the ice cream line while you decided which flavor?
Have you ever held two books, trying to decide which one to read next?
Write a poem where you argue with yourself. One line will talk about one decision you could make and the next line will tell why you want to do the opposite. Argue with yourself!
Add descriptive language so a reader can see how hard the decision is.
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, just do it! Waffle!
For more waffle fun, here are “12 Waffle Facts You’d be “Hard Pressed” to Find Anywhere Else” (except here) from www.foodbeast.com
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2000+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
Click on Fishbowl link and sign up to receive email notifications from Kelly's blog (aka The Fishbowl):
All who subscribe, comment or share a poem will be entered in . . .