Some Poetry Craft to Consider

This post is a place where poets can share some of the literary devices/craft that they use to create meaning and mood in their poetry. I personally tend to use a lot of alliteration to drive the rhythm of the lines of my poetry. example - While trees take their time, slowly maturing/ the oft' forgotten fly experiences all seasons in a single day;
The use of the same consonant to start the words in these lines helps me create a backing rhythm to the poem that is not "sing-songy" but hopefully develops and pace and speed for the audience. What do you use to emphasize/create feeling or importance in your poetry?

Ray Bradbury

submitted by student - Ray Bradbury writes about the impact of technology on society in some of his short stories. In both "The Veldt" and "The Pedestrian", the protagonist is punished for "disagreeing" with technology in some way. Is Ray Bradbury's perspective realistic? Do you see our world in the world of his stories? Explain.

What to Read?

submitted by student - Wondering what you should read next? Click on the "What Should I Read Next" button on the left of the blog home page. Type in the title of the last book that you read and enjoyed. What comes up? On this post, please comment with some books that you have read and enjoyed that some people might not know about. Why did you like it? Give a quick synposis of the book.

Complex Characters

submitted by student - Artemis Fowl is a very complex character. He is constantly scheming to enter the world of magic. His life is quite complicated and it has therefore made his character and personality quite complex. Who is the most complex literary character you can think of? Why?

Jason Mraz

submitted by student - The song "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," was written by Jason Mraz just after he learned that his friend had been diagnosed with cancer. The song has a very moving message about life, particularly when he sings, "I won't worry my life away..." What do you think Mraz is trying to teach us/share with us with this song? How can this message apply to your life?

Hope is the Thing With Feathers

submitted by student - In the poem "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" by Emily Dickinson, hope is portrayed as an animal, a bird. Why do you think hope is portrayed as a bird and what is the significance of the lines..."Yet, never, in extremity, / It asked a crumb of me"?

Kiwi quick film

submitted by student - Watch this Towards the end, the kiwi drops a single tear on his descent. Why do you think the kiwi was crying? Was he happy, sad, etc....? What message do you think the creators were trying to convey with this short Pixar Animation?

Love Like Crazy

submitted by student - The song "Love Like Crazy" is a very emotional song that can teach a lesson, especially the chorus..."Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love you! Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense. Never let your prayin' knees get lazy and love like crazy". What do you think Brice Lee is saying with this song?

MP3 Elaboration

Our MP3 writing goal is elaboration. Use this post as a place to discuss strategies, ask questions, make commentary about how you are working on this writing goal. Remember, you need to work on this goal as often as possible.

Watchmen

submitted by student - The book Watchmen takes place in Cold War era New York. America and Soviet Russia are close to nuclear war. The only way to stop the war involves killing half of NYC...would you do this in order to stop a nuclear war or would you save NY and allow the war to start? Why would you make your decision?

Jumpman

student submitted - In the book Jumpman, the character Jules is getting really jealous of a kid who "jumped" back to Jules's time from some point in the future. This kid is spending a lot of time with a girl that Jules likes. Unfortunately, the future kid's jump pack is broken so it's not likely that he is leaving any time soon. How can Jules stop the girl that he likes from getting sucked in by this kid from the future?

No Boundaries

student submitted - This is an amazing an inspiring song. What do you think the song is telling you? What message is there in this song?

Vanilla Twilight

Vanilla Twilight by Owl City is a song about falling out of love/ missing an ex. Can you relate to the songwriter's feelings and words? Have you ever been in this kind of situation, feeling alone after a breakup? If you don't know the song you can listen here

Sherlock Holmes

submitted by student -- In the movie Sherlock Holmes, Holmes and Watson have to solve a mystery regarding someone who apparently came back from the dead. If you have seen this movie I would like to know what you thought of it. I personally liked it a lot.

Jars of Glass

submitted by student -- The book Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler is a heartbreaking story about a family that has had their lives turned upside down. The mother is insane and has been hospitalized and it is up to the daughters, Chloe and Shana, to keep the family together. If you were in this situation how w0uld you feel? How would you try to "fix" your family?