Mimicked Limerick Style of Edward Lear

There once was a Young Girl whose dog,

Ate everything in sight like a hog;

But then the dog got sick,

And started to lick,

A dirty, old rotten log.

* I chose to mimic Edward Lear because I found his Limerick techniques interesting and humorous. I noticed that all of his Limericks started with 'There once was an Old man ....", which I originally found cliche, however began appreciating it as I feel it worked with his creatively humorous poems.

Three Types of Poetry

1. Haiku
a.) Haiku’s are short poems consisting with 17-syllables. Usually written in three lines with a 5-7-5 syllable count, Haiku’s focuses attention on a single moment, usually pertaining to nature or our senses. Haiku’s originated from the Japanese culture. They called the beginning of their poems ‘hokku’ meaning ‘starting verse’, in which the word haiku derived from.
b. ) Basho, Buson and Issa, were men living during Japan's Edo-period (1600-1868), whose work influenced the way haiku’s are written even today. They all grew up in rural villages and spent most of their days writing poetry and exploring the natural world around them. Because they were so in tuned with nature, many of their poems were focused around nature. Basho was considered the father of haiku’s, as he devoted most of his life to perfecting his skill.
c.) Example of a Basho Haiku:
Autumn moonlight—
a worm digs silently
into the chestnut.
http://www.cranberrydesigns.com/poetry/haiku/history.htm
2. Limerick
a.) Limerick's are humorous, five lined poems, which sometimes are nonsense. The rhyme scheme is usually a-a-b-b-a. Limerick's were often used in Nursery Rhymes and other poems for children.
b.) Limerick's originated from the small Irish town of Limerick. Limerick's were often sung in taverns or pubs in local towns, and before long Limerick's were known by everyone. They have fun, catchy tones, and are enjoyed by everyone.
c.) Limerick by Edward Lear:
There was an Old Person whose habits,
Induced him to feed upon rabbits;
When he'd eaten eighteen,
He turned perfectly green,
Upon which he relinquished those habits.
http://www.poetry-online.org/limericks.htm
3. Tongue Twisters
a.) Tongue Twisters are sequences of words difficult to pronounce, especially rapidly, because of alliteration or a slight variation of consonant sounds.
b.) The history of Tongue Twisters is unknown, however it is known that they are often used in children's books and novels. Some famous tongue twister poets were Mary Anning, Joseph Rosenbaum, and Michael Artell.
c.) Example:
A skunk sat on a stump
and thunk the stump stunk,
but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.
http://www.fun-with-words.com/tong_example.html

Reflection on Poetry Slam:

In all honesty, I believe that our Poetry Slam would have gone much better if the poets reading their work were more animated and enthusiastic about their pieces. The majority of the class read their work with vapid, expressionless, monotone language, which did not appeal to the audience. Compared to the majority of the class, I believe my poem was well written and I used a more entertaining dialogue than many of the other students. I believe the winner of the Poetry Slam was, by far, Victoria, because she read with such animation and I was really intrigued by her vivid poem. Dan also surprised me with his poem. His use of imagery and emotion that he put into the piece was evident. Overall, the class did a decent job with the Poetry Slam and I feel as though as the class progresses and people get more comfortable with each other in the class, then activities like this will be more successful in class.

HEADLINE POEM from PEREZHILTON.COM:

Cashing in- A sweet ride
Diva alert!
Bit of trouble- lies!
Welcomes DUI again
No one feels sorry
She admitts it
DUI Hall of fame
Finally charged.

Lasagna!

L ots of flavor
A nd manocotti cheese
S lices of tomato
A nd noodles intertwined
G arlic sprinkled on the top
N eatly stacked- noodle, cheese, noodle, cheese
A lways a family favorite!

Laura Katherine

L oves to laugh
A nd tried to stay optimistic
U sually friendly unless made mad
R espectful and courteous
A lways has a headache


K icks brothers if they kick me
A chieve greatness
T alks about mostly anything
H ates running with a passion
E ats ice cream with a delighted smile
R elays on family for support
I nterested in psychology
N ice to old people
E njoys awkward moments!

Emily Dickinson

All About Emily...
Having had grown up in Amherst, Massachusetts, Dickinson was raised by a strong family with good social ties. Emily was always thought of by her family as 'the perfect child', as she never complained or caused any trouble. In her later years, Emily wrote poetry to help deal with her emotions. Mainly due to the fact that many of Emily's close friends and family member were continuously passing away due to diseases, her poems pertained to death, loss, and immortality. Only a few of Dickinson's poems were actually published as she was alive. Near the last few years of her life, Emily secluded herself in her house and never left. It became very rare for anyone to ever even see Emily. After her death in 1886, a close friend published all of Emily's poems because he could not stand to see her talent go to waste.


Poem by Emily Dickinson:

XX
The last night that she lived,
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different.
We noticed smallest things,—
Things overlooked before,
By this great light upon our minds
Italicized, as ’t were.

That others could exist
While she must finish quite,
A jealousy for her arose
So nearly infinite.

We waited while she passed;
It was a narrow time,
Too jostled were our souls to speak,
At length the notice came.

She mentioned, and forgot;
Then lightly as a reed
Bent to the water, shivered scarce,
Consented, and was dead.

And we, we placed the hair,
And drew the head erect;
And then an awful leisure was,
Our faith to regulate.

Analysis: Dickinson descriptively describes the last night of a woman who once lived (possibly an old friend or family member). She displays how we do not notice the small details in life until we actually look back and reflect. The affects of death on close friends and family is portrayed through Dickinson's last stanza.

Shakespearean Sonnet: 'Life'

He went on one knee and looked up at me.

I will hold tight on to this Mr.Right.

It was easy to see our destiny,

For we got engaged that very same night.

I went to tell family and friends,

I was to get married and say "I do!"

My pure happiness seems to never end,

I was ready to marry and I knew.

Years down the road and I was expecting,

One boy and one girl, my heart began to beat!

Who knew this life could be so rewarding?!

Being a mother of twins will be neat!