Twenty Little Poetry Projects – an exercise from Jim Simmerman.
Here’s a way to kick start the creative process. Follow the instructions, trusting in me that you WILL have a different poem at the end. My example poem will allow you to check any of the steps you’re unsure of. Give each step at least one line.
Fool around. Enjoy. Don’t feel obliged to make rational sense. This is an exercise. It’s not as difficult as it sounds at first, and you will surprise yourself!
1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses.
4. Use one example of synaesthesia (mixing the senses)
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
8. Use a word (slang?) you’ve never seen in a poem.
9. Use an example of false cause/effect logic.
10. Use a piece of “talk” you’ve actually heard (preferably in dialect and/or which you
don’t understand).
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction; “The (adjective) (concrete
noun) of (abstract noun)…”
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
13. Make the persona or character in the poem do something he/she could not do in
real life.
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
15. Write in the future tense so that part of the poem seems to be a prediction.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no
sense.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
19. Make a non-human object say or do something human (personification).
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that “echoes’ an image from earlier in the poem.
Example Poem:
Glass Floats
1. My heart is a drowning dolphin
trapped in inattention’s drift nets
2. while your wife tries to interest me
in an affair.
3. I sag against meshes,
numbed by the Arctic cold;
hear drum beats slow,
smell dank ashes of defeat,
taste salt blood where
honey once sprang sweet.
4. Failure tastes like AC/DC
playing loud at the wrong speed.
5. Dr. Chico in Chicago
prescribes drugs, names with
6. lots of Z and X. Your wife’s not
really trying. It’s me,
needing to be closer.
7. Daytime TV, mindless, soporific
plays songs almost known, déjà heard
8. to a herd of numb, dumb stumblebums
9. who see and hear, therefore they are
and they know the answer when asked
10. “Who’s your baby now?”
11. The pretty parrots of play
12. fly like lead in my head.
I am as still as spit on a hot griddle –
13. I’ve invited your wife over for drinks.
14. DeeDee is not coping with rejection.
15. I will wash up on a strange beach soon,
stranded but still alive, eyes blind
from salt and sand, and learn again to see
under a foreign sky, grateful for the
kindly care of well-intentioned strangers.
16. The rubber origami of my love
17. will always remember to forget you…
18. plus ca change, plus la meme
19. As rock carvings get new wardrobes, hairdos,
take planes to Paris for spring,
20. the glass floats at the ends of the nets
bob in the endless ocean.
Here’s a way to kick start the creative process. Follow the instructions, trusting in me that you WILL have a different poem at the end. My example poem will allow you to check any of the steps you’re unsure of. Give each step at least one line.
Fool around. Enjoy. Don’t feel obliged to make rational sense. This is an exercise. It’s not as difficult as it sounds at first, and you will surprise yourself!
1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses.
4. Use one example of synaesthesia (mixing the senses)
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
8. Use a word (slang?) you’ve never seen in a poem.
9. Use an example of false cause/effect logic.
10. Use a piece of “talk” you’ve actually heard (preferably in dialect and/or which you
don’t understand).
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction; “The (adjective) (concrete
noun) of (abstract noun)…”
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
13. Make the persona or character in the poem do something he/she could not do in
real life.
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
15. Write in the future tense so that part of the poem seems to be a prediction.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no
sense.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
19. Make a non-human object say or do something human (personification).
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that “echoes’ an image from earlier in the poem.
Example Poem:
Glass Floats
1. My heart is a drowning dolphin
trapped in inattention’s drift nets
2. while your wife tries to interest me
in an affair.
3. I sag against meshes,
numbed by the Arctic cold;
hear drum beats slow,
smell dank ashes of defeat,
taste salt blood where
honey once sprang sweet.
4. Failure tastes like AC/DC
playing loud at the wrong speed.
5. Dr. Chico in Chicago
prescribes drugs, names with
6. lots of Z and X. Your wife’s not
really trying. It’s me,
needing to be closer.
7. Daytime TV, mindless, soporific
plays songs almost known, déjà heard
8. to a herd of numb, dumb stumblebums
9. who see and hear, therefore they are
and they know the answer when asked
10. “Who’s your baby now?”
11. The pretty parrots of play
12. fly like lead in my head.
I am as still as spit on a hot griddle –
13. I’ve invited your wife over for drinks.
14. DeeDee is not coping with rejection.
15. I will wash up on a strange beach soon,
stranded but still alive, eyes blind
from salt and sand, and learn again to see
under a foreign sky, grateful for the
kindly care of well-intentioned strangers.
16. The rubber origami of my love
17. will always remember to forget you…
18. plus ca change, plus la meme
19. As rock carvings get new wardrobes, hairdos,
take planes to Paris for spring,
20. the glass floats at the ends of the nets
bob in the endless ocean.
Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on December 17, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 1000, Silver: 500, Bronze: 200
- Final notes: Thank you all for your efforts. I hope you all had fun doing the poems. Now, you can fine tune them if you want to, but I think you all had a new look at how a poem can come about.
The trophies are awarded purely on how I responded to them, and it wasn't an easy choice. I was going to add HMs, but decided against it. The order of the finalist's list is graded.
Thank you all again - I had a lot of fun reading these, and some great new ideas have blossomed.
Contest Winners
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1. she sang like the wind picking cracks out of the window,
wanting inby philosphyofkate 36 lines, 4 comments, on Dec 3 4:48 PM 2008. In Contemporary, Contest
Gold trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
1. Castanets on the sidewalk, Mme. Dubarry's shoes,
2. The moon, at the full, could hear them, and feel their pinch.• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
by Luna Tique Fringe 58 lines, 13 comments, on Dec 4 9:37 PM 2008. In Adult, Humor
Bronze trophy winner
• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4833147, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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1. My tears are polished with transparency.
2. The longer I look in the mirror the farther away I get.• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
The Tokyo of our Love was wrecked by the Godzilla of Ego.
He wanted me to hit him with a wooden spoon.by BlancetNoir 16 lines, 3 comments, on Dec 3 3:56 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
sipping flesh-colored air the flavor of yesterday's newspaper,
flaying in the husky wind• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Silver trophy winner
Entries [22]
1 - 22 of 22
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17. I've been pondering the deeper truths of lonliness in a
Disassociated state of insomnia.by Gingersoul 28 lines, 4 comments, on Dec 3 2:56 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
1. All I remember from to day is thinking, ‘this life is like a blender’
• Commented on by judge. -
I am the third wheel of this tricycle
Though you swear you won't move to Indianaby vampedvixen 33 lines, 6 comments, on Dec 3 11:38 PM 2008• Commented on by judge. -
Tis the spring wound in perpetuity of life studiesby Antipodi 26 lines, 4 comments, on Dec 4 7:11 AM 2008. In Contemporary, Spiritual, Society, Personal• Commented on by judge.
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by ariazephyrzoe 39 lines, 17 comments, on Dec 5 12:32 AM 2008. In Adult, Humor, Weird Thoughts, Tongue in Cheek
• Commented on by judge. -
Your pretenses are like stickers
I peel off of hopelessly scrambled Rubik's cubes.• Commented on by judge. -
by nolazydaizy 26 lines, 7 comments, on Dec 13 3:36 AM 2008. In Adult, Contemporary, Personal, Life, Love• Commented on by judge.
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(1) My tears plummet like the violent wind and rainfall of The Bay of Bengal Monsoons- long awaited and appreciated
(2) As I cry, I watch my blood escape and trickle out of the protective prison of my pale, moist skin…it runs• Commented on by judge.
Add a comment
Comments
1 - 22 of 22
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I am at work - will definitely have to give this a go - when I have more time. It looks intereting.
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Oh, please do, you'll have fun!
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wow. confusing, but definately sounds like fun! i'll give it a try.
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Great, come on in!
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sign me up
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Waiting for your entry!
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good theory, good challenge. you've put a lot of thought into this!
*~Huntress~*
P.S. there's no 'w' in rut! -
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Just my sense of humour.
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Some great ideas for inspiration. Am bookmarking. Maybe you could post these ideas in the form of a column so that after the contest they are still inspiring poets in the future?
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OK, that's not a bad idea. Maybe when the contest is over. I hope you'll write for it - it's a lot of fun, and you'll be amazed at what comes from it.
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Yay, a creative contest prompt! I love it.
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Come on in!
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I'm dizzy from just reading the criteria!
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Just do it, one at a time, and you'll be surprised!
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Thank you
I had a lot of fun writing for this, it was quite interesting. Glad you made the contest 
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I'm glad you had fun with it.
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oh god yes something interesting, mediocrity thou are done for!!
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I hope you enter - it's a fun way to get the process going.
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The rubber origami of my love
that is a certifiable classic! -
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Thanks. lol.
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I love the creative process, and yes, I have been in a wrut.
Bookmarked. -
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Great, looking forward to seeing an entry!
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