Tags

, , , , , ,

Happy 11th Anniversary dVerse poets! 

It has been an amazing journey of writing, editing, reading, learning and getting to know the poets who have walked through the pub doors.  Our walls are filled with archives and scribbled words from those who have opened doors, sadly passed away, or move on to other things in life.  We continue with what we do best – provide a supportive and fun community to poets and writers.   

For today’s Meeting the Bar/Poetry Form, we will craft a poem using 11 line stanza.

I. Eleventh Power is an invented stanzaic form introduced by Christina Jussaume who requests the subject be uplifting. The elements of the Eleventh Power are:

  • stanzaic, written in any number of 11 line stanzas.
  • syllabic, 11 syllables each, per line.
  • rhymed, rhyme scheme:   abababccddd or ababababccc.

Here is my example, using the first end word rhyme scheme:

The Gift Came With Instructions
Grace @EverydayAmazing

She gave us a gift in box: packets of seeds (a)
Bearing various shapes – bird’s feet, fish’s eyes, clouds, bones (b)
Holding the promise of fruits from caring deeds (a)
We took the storms, thoughtless insults and sharp stones (b)
That came our way. Instead we made maps, beads (a)
of peace, stories from forests, lakes and pine cones- (b)
Our one voice echoed with other voices (c)
Our two hands multiplied with calm choices (c)
What we could not imagine, happens: kindness (d)
Rooting, growing, removing our blindness (d)
Spreading from home to home, this gift that binds us (d)

Source

II. As an option to the strict syllabic and rhymed pattern of Eleventh Power, you can write a list poem containing an 11 line stanza (or stanzas).   The subject is uplifting and/or with a celebratory tone.

A list poem is a technique we have discussed before by Samuel Peralta in this post, and by Victoria Slotto in this post.   To summarize:

List poems are fairly straightforward to write. You choose the subject matter, and then free-associate ideas about that subject, capturing the ideas in a word or phrase.

Once you have that list of words or phrases, you then use your artistic intuition to edit the list into a finished work.  That editing is what separates a list poem from a simple shopping list or to-do list.

As one example, you could re-write each phrase so that it lends, gradually, to building up a theme or perspective about the subject.  Or you could order the list so that the phrases tell a story as you continue down the list.

Here is my example:

Monday’s List
by Grace @Everyday Amazing

inhale deeply the quietude of sunrise
crisp air from pine,spruce and sugar maple trees
count pastel pink, aqua blue tints on the sky
look – caterpillar of clouds on cusp of blossoming
marvel the bees stealing crowns from wildflowers
listen to birds chirping with flashes of red,
orange and blue wings diving above the shrubs
mix in the smell of warm buttered toast with
fruity smoothie & garden grown cucumber
here is joy, unfolding in mindfulness
here is a morning kneaded in gratitude

So, in today’s writing challenge, I offer you a choice of writing an 11-line stanza poem:

1. Eleventh Power (following the elements as described above)
2. List Poem         (free association, no syllabic or rhyme scheme to follow)

You can pen more than one 11-line stanza in your poem.  Cheers!!!!

Here is how to join us if you are new:
  • Write a poem based on the writing challenge as described above. Post it on your blog or website.
  • Enter your name and direct link to your poem in Mr. Linky.
  • Remember to check the box re: privacy policy.
  • Follow the links to other poets. Read and comment on other poems.  We all appreciate feedback on our poems.
  • Link back to dVerse so others can find us too.
  • Have fun!