»
Main Forums
»
Poetry Workshop
»
For December's ImPatient Pantoum Poets
| Poetry Workshop |
|
For December's ImPatient Pantoum Poets |
|
|
Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA 
|
Humph - This class already knows all this stuff...  That's probably because this month is a repetition of the workshop we did last fall... Well... That was a long time ago, and these are great poems to write... What are they? Did someone in the back of the class dare to ask that??? These directions are also pretty much pulled from that workshop... A pantoum is another form of poetry that uses line repetitions for effect. Remember those liberals and traditionalists we talked about when we did the villanelle? Well, they have those same opinions about the pantoum. The liberals think that it's perfectly acceptable to vary the words in the repeated lines a bit to enhance the development of the theme. The traditionalists hold strong and fast to the "no deviations" rule. In reality, you can make your own choice. The first and most important thing to consider is THEME - You have to have a theme that you can develop with repetitions. THINK THEME - THINK THEME - THINK THEME... It has to develop well to be successful. A pantoum, done properly, will also have a distinctive meter (one of your own choosing). Again, don't worry about that at first - Meter is easily ironed out after the poem has been written. Try to maintain some semblance of syllable count in your lines to make it easier, but don't stress over it until later. So - The Pantoum - Is formatted in this manner. You'll be writing six stanzas - each a quatrain which will consist of lines that repeat in this order: a1 b1 a2 b2 b1 c1 b2 c2 c1 d1 c2 d2 d1 e1 d2 e2 e1 f1 e2 f2 f1 a2 f2 a1 Note that the first line (a1) also becomes the last line - the poem loops back around to its beginning. So, your first line has to be one that's appropriate to end the poem as well (and still allow you to DEVELOP YOUR THEME). Let's see what we can do with this - starting with your repetitions - work on meter afterwards... and remember ...THINK THEME... I'll be off now... to find a new format so you're not all a step ahead of the teacher next time...  [This message has been edited by Nan (edited 12-06-2000).] |
||
| © Copyright 2000 Nancy Ness - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
Munda Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544The Hague, The Netherlands |
Bringing this back to the top for a "deer" Moose  |
||
|
Munda Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544The Hague, The Netherlands |
Hmm...taking a couple of days off huh ? hehe Where are you Nan ? Your students are waiting for you. How about some "song writing" for January ? (Although I have the feeling you're one step ahead of me this time. )Merry Christmas to you Nan.  |
||
|
Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
I never take any time off... It's not allowed.. I don't get paid if I don't work...  I do, however, let you guys do some commenting on each other's work before I have anything to say... It's only fair.. |
||
|
Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Um.. Songwriting??? I'm not adverse to that - Do we have anyone who'd like to be a guest speaker, though??? |
||
|
Munda Member Elite
since 1999-10-08
Posts 3544The Hague, The Netherlands |
I suppose we could ask Paul Simon, or Chris the Burgh for guest speakers, but I fear they're both having a break at the moment. How about Jon Mewett ? I also found "a note on songwriting" in one of my rhyming dictionaries.  "Just as poems have certain forms or structures, such as a sonnet or limerick, songs also are constructed according to certain patterns. The most popular patterns or song structures are AABA and ABAB. Unlike poetry, these schemes do not refer to rhyme, but to the organization of verses and choruses. Each A is a verse and each B is a chorus. Some songs also have C sections, known as a bridge, which usually comes after a chorus, but may also follow a verse. The bridge adds a new dimension to the dynamics of the song and prevents it from getting monotonous-it is a short melodic and/or rhythmic change. Here are the four most common structures: 1. A (verse) A (verse) B (chorus) A (verse) 2. A (verse) B (chorus) A (verse) B (chorus) 3. A (verse) B (chorus) A (verse) C (bridge) 4. A (verse) B (chorus) A (verse) B (chorus) C (bridge) B (chorus) When writing song lyrics,it's best to keep these musical structures in mind; if you write your lyrics in a pattern that will easily fit into one of these song structures, it will help you (or someone else) when writing the music." If you listen to a song, you'll also find it has a certain meter (different per song of course) and the verses, as the chorus, have the same syllable count. (syllable count LOL is that correct English?) I've tried writing new lyrics to a well-known melody and it was great fun. It also makes it a lot easier for the first time. Try and read the poem "Bathing In Moonlight" with the melody "Blue Moon" in mind. The other one I am not giving away. Well, this is what I could find. I'm pretty sure Jon would be delighted to teach us what he knows if you contact him, but of course... the final decision is yours Nan. |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
