Poet Quest 8

Inspiration

You’ve gone camping, perhaps, or you’ve been outside and seen something fascinating. Maybe it was downright perplexing? Can you describe it in verse? Is there anything else in nature that perturbs you or bums you out?

But not rain. Everybody rains. But something like rain!
Okay. You can write about rain… if you really must.

Knowledge

Tercet - A three-line stanza. Tercets are great for creating a bleak, sober or weighty tone.

For example, the first stanza of ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’ by Dylan Thomas:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Haiku - A haiku is a tercet with a specific amount of syllables in each of the three lines. 5 in the first, 7 in the second, and 5 in the third. Traditionally, haikus (which originated in Japan) focus on images in nature.

For example, “The Old Pond” by Matsuo Bashō:

An old silent pond
A frog jumps into the pond—
Splash! Silence again.

Encouragement

Never feel pressured to write a haiku, but if you find you like them, then great! Keep writing them.

Challenge

Write one poem with three or more tercets (9 lines or more total) with as many (or few) feet in the lines as you need to convey your story.

Use inspiration from today to capture a thought, feeling, or moment. Use the structure of ABA CDC EFE. Do your best to help the reader feel the moment.

Then, if you’re up for it, share your favorite (of the two poems you wrote) in the comments or send it to me via carrier pigeon (e-mail) here for feedback.