It’s Monday, Rhyming Fun Day!

Here we are…ready for the second week! I know last week was a lot of information but now you have it to look back on. I am already much more comfortable with the many terms that we covered last week. Do I remember everything? Nope, but when I am researching for the lessons and come across some of the terminology, it is becoming more familiar. It takes time to learn new concepts. 

*

Thank you for all the kind and complementary comments! It is what keeps me going as my butt has been in this chair for many hours over the past few weeks. It is exactly what I needed to get myself focused. Jane Yolen would be proud of us all! She was pleased with the number of you who signed up to receive her daily poems. If you are interested, send her an email at Janeyolen@aol.com and mention that you will promise to either buy one of her books or borrow one from the library each month. Please also mention that you are participating in RhyPiBoMo as Jane is our guest blogger this Saturday. I think it is too late to receive poems for this month as she only admits people at the beginning of each month. Tell Jane I said “Hi!”

 

Rhyming Party

We had our 2nd Rhyming Party today on the RhyPiBoMo Facebook Group page…It was rhyming hilarity at it’s best! During the party, we played a few rhyming games and I ask trivia type questions about the blog and things that have been mentioned here. Everyone playing is obligated to comment with their answers in rhyme. It’s fun to see them rushing to answer and keep their brains in rhyming form. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the party…

*

Laura Rackham This was in reference to a question asking what my husband’s name is… (Stan) ”A man so fine to inspire such rhyme” LOL

*

*

Pearls of Poetry

https://angiekarcher.wordpress.com/pearls-of-poetry-wisdom/

*

Several people have asked if there is a place they can share their poetry with the group.  There is! Look at the tab above that says Pearls of Poetry…That is a place for any writer to share kid-friendly poetry. It is completely optional and not part of this challenge. I wanted to wait a week before I mentioned it so you don’t feel obligated. It is a place for sharing and perusing at your leisure. I will try to stop by to read the poetry there as I can but please feel free to share any poetry that is again, kid and family friendly.

*

*

*

*

We are fortunate to have today’s guest blogger as she is a busy editor at Putnam. I’m thrilled to have her here to help us understand the editor’s point of view when it comes to rhyming picture books and poetry.  

*

*

 

So, without further ado, I’m honored to present today’s

Golden Quill Guest Blogger

Susan Kochan

*

             

*

*

With Susan’s busy schedule we decided it best to do a Question and Answer session. I have thought of a dozen other questions for her now that the event is here but thankfully, she was happy to answer the questions I came up with back in January…

*

*

What did you want to be when you grew up?

*
–I went through a phase of wanting to be an architect, fully inspired by Lincoln Logs and Legos, but quickly got over that when I learned how much math and physics was involved. I was a huge bookworm as well but never knew or thought about working with books as an option for a career.

*

*

Please tell us about your professional journey through children’s books…

*

–I was an elementary education major in college and loved my children’s literature classes best. Whole Language was popular while I was in school and using trade books in all subjects seemed natural and fun to me. After four years of teaching, I realized that was not the profession for me but didn’t know what I could do next. I had spent one year as a substitute teacher and while my students were at specials, I’d scour the library for new books (no planning for subs – yay!). That felt a lot like my time in my elementary school library and led me to wonder if there were something I could do with books. I knew authors and illustrators from using trade books in all of my classrooms, but I didn’t know anything about publishing at all. I was lucky enough to get an interview with Margaret Frith at Putnam and landed in editorial. In the beginning I was equally amazed by being surrounded by books and the wonderful people who created them and the fact that I could go to the restroom whenever I wanted. I’m in my twentieth year at Putnam (!) and sometimes still can’t believe I get to help make books for a living.

*

*

Why did you decide to be an editor?

*
–I would have taken any job in publishing and honestly didn’t know much about any of the departments. My breadth of knowledge about recent books, authors, and illustrators made me a good fit for editorial and then I was able to find some great manuscripts in the slush pile so they kept me around.

*

*
How do you feel about rhyming books in today’s market?

*
–Rhyming books will always be popular if they’re done well because children enjoy rhythm. Great verse is like a song to the ear (though harder to write–songs are more forgiving). Very young children respond to the patterns in rhymes and the pace of lively verses while kids who are learning to read get cues from the rhythms and rhymes. It will always be fun to read a rhyming book aloud when kids can guess the next word and recite it with you.

*

*

Do you publish much poetry?

*
–I have only acquired one poetry collection–La Madre Goose by Susan Middleton Elya, to be illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal. I am more drawn to stories than collections.

*

*

What should authors always do when submitting rhyme and poetry?

*
–For a picture book that is meant to be read as a narrative, use a consistent rhyme scheme throughout. The meter should add fun to the telling without spots that pull the reader out of the flow of the rhythm.

*
–Make sure the manuscript has a strong story as well as carefully examined meter and rhythm. Fun language is great, but in order to stand up to repeat readings and become a child’s favorite, a book also needs distinct characters and an interesting plot.

*

–Find many people who will read your work aloud in front of you before you think it’s ready to submit. You can learn a lot about trouble spots by listening to fresh readers. Mark every word they trip on.

*

*

What should authors never do when submitting rhyme and poetry?

*

Some problems I see include:

*

–Don’t force rhymes.

*

— awkward phrasing to make lines end with the rhyming word

*
— sentences or phrases that are part of a single topic or idea that jump from one stanza to another in order to make a rhyming word work (sometimes this can work but it is very rare).

*
–one or two difficult or sophisticated words in the mix purely for the rhyme

*

–Don’t mix stanzas with different meters or styles of poems within one story (for example – some stanzas have three lines while others have two; one stanza ends with words that all rhyme while the next has rhyming words for every other line)

*

–Don’t think you can get away with lazy rhymes or uneven rhythm because you see it in other books.
*
*

On a scale of 1-10 how much bad rhyme do you get?

1= not much…to…10 = I’m out of rejection letters!

*
–I’d say 9.

*

*

Describe the excitement when you read brilliant rhyme.

*
–It makes me smile and laugh out loud or stop and reread a few times. It makes me marvel at how much fun language can be. I instantly think about how a child will respond.

*

*

What do you predict the future is for rhyme and poetry?

*
–There will always be a market for well-done verse. It will forever be fun to read aloud. Talented readers will never stop loving how they can amp up the word play and less artistic readers will always appreciate how the words are magic even without much work. Kids are born loving rhythm and will respond to hearing it from books for as long as they’ll respond to it in music.

*

*

Bio:

Susan Kochan has been with Putnam for almost twenty years after a short-lived career as an elementary teacher. She acquires fiction and nonfiction from young picture books through middle-grade novels. She is the editor of many rhyming picture books including Falling for Rapunzel and Waking Beauty by Leah Wilcox, illustrated by Lydia Monks; Hornbooks and Inkwells and Civil War Drummer Boy by Verla Kay, illustrated by S. D. Schindler and Larry Day (respectively); Oh No, Gotta Go by Susan Middleton Elya, illustrated by G. Brian Karas; Cool Daddy Rat by Kristyn Crow, illustrated by Mike Lester; The Three Ninja Pigs and Ninja Red Riding Hood by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat; and The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School and The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck by Laura Murray, illustrated by Mike Lowery.

*

*

Here are Putnam’s guidelines (the short version):
Putnam Children’s accepts unsolicited manuscripts, but we can’t respond to the huge volume we receive. Please send just manuscripts (no SASE) to: Putnam Children’s Editorial, 345 Hudson Street, NY, NY 10014 and we will respond within four months if we are interested.

*

*

Thank you Susan Kochan!

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RhyPiBoMo Daily Lesson: Monday, April 7th
By Angie Karcher © 2014
Lesson 9

*

*

Reasons to Rhyme…

*

Definition of Rhyme:
– identity in sound of some part, especially the end, of words or lines of verse. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/rhyme

*

– correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds), to be similar in sound, especially with respect to the last syllable
http://rhymezone.com/r/rhyme.cgi?Word=rhyme&typeofrhyme=def&org1=syl&org2=l&org3=y

*

– a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words, most often at the end of lines in poems and songs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyme

*

Rhyme is a technique of writing that works best when it is not obvious! As a writer, I want someone to read my poem and think about my word choices for their meanings and not my rhyme scheme. (write this down)

*

*

*

First I think we have to distinguish the difference between good rhyme and bad rhyme. Good rhyme occurs when the two or more words that rhyme complement each other in respect to meaning, sound and/or thought. In other words, the rhyming words add to the joy of reading that particular text.

*
Bad rhyme occurs when the writer is using language as a scapegoat. The rhyming words are chosen almost exclusively because of the ending sounds involved…not taking into consideration the meanings of the words. Bad rhyme does NOT add to the joy of reading the text. It confuses the reader and often makes the text silly or nonsensical. Bad rhyme keeps the writer from saying what he/she truly wants to say.

*

From here on out I will be making reference to rhyme…aka: Good rhyme.

*

Why do we write in rhyme? (write this down or add to your list from last week)

*
Let’s first think about why rhyme is a positive influence …

*
  1) Rhyme is an echo that gives a feeling of closure. You call out, then you get an answer.

*
2) Rhyme helps the reader remember the poem or the rhyming picture book text.

*
3) Rhyme gives a logical order to our thoughts when reading.

*
4) Rhyme is pleasant to read silently and extremely satisfying to hear or read orally.

*
5) Rhyme is an awesome tool to help new readers understand language and to become confident readers.

*

6) Rhyme enables the new reader to use context clues in the sentence to make an educated guess as to the ending word, or rhyme word.

*
7) Rhyme brings joy to reading. It encourages the listener and reader to be playful, find fun in language and makes reading a positive experience.

*

*

*

End Rhyme/ Perfect Rhyme/Complete Rhyme/Full Rhyme/True Rhyme/Exact Rhyme…Lots of names for the same thing! (write this down)

*
Definition – end rhyme, in poetry, a rhyme that occurs in the last syllables of a line or verse. Words with ending rhyme have the same final vowel sound and following consonant sound(s).

End rhymes in one syllable words:

*
For example: The word cat rhymes with words with the short a/ consonant T sound –at sound (rhymes with flat, mat, brat, hat)
The word great rhymes with the words with the long a/ consonant T sound –ate sound (rhymes with plate, eight, straight, bait)

*

End rhymes in multiple syllable words: (write this down)

*
The beginning syllables of these words are disregarded.

*
Words with last syllable rhyme have the same sounds following the last syllable, usually with a consonant, a vowel, and another consonant (CVC pattern).

*

The word un-told rhymes with words with a consonant/the long o/ consonant D sound -old sound (rhymes with fold, *rolled, marigold, buttonholed)

The word swea-ter rhymes with words with the consonant sound/short e/ consonant r -er sound (rhymes with doctor, waiter, sister, water, were)

*

The word ab-stain with the last syllable having a consonant sound/long a/consonant sound -ain sound (rhymes with restrain, champagne, grain, brain)

*

*

Masculine Rhyme
Definition – Rhymes with a stressed final syllable – 2 syllables (write this down)
For example: re-flect/ob-ject/re-ject/pro-tect

*

Femenine Rhyme
Definition – Rhyme with an unstressed final syllable – 2 syllables (write this down)
For example: scram-ble/ ram-ble/ gam-ble/sham-ble

 *

*

Double Rhymes
Definition – 2 syllable words that have the same vowel sound in the second-to-last syllable and all following sounds. (write this down)

*
For example: The word boring rhymes with words that end in –oring. So, to be a double rhyme here, these words must have a vowel O/consonant R/ and an –ing ending. (adoring, pouring, restoring, scoring)

*
Other examples of double rhyme include:
talking/walking
swimming/brimming
conviction/prediction

*

*

Beginning Rhymes/First Syllable Rhyme/Reverse Rhyme
Definition – Words with beginning rhyme have the same initial consonant sound(s) and the same first vowel sound. (write this down)

*
This option lets you find words with initial alliteration (the repetition of initial consonant sounds), initial assonance (the repetition of initial vowel sounds), and front rhyme (the succession of beginning sounds of words).(write this down)

*
For example:
cat/kangaroo/candy
reminder/relieve/redo
phrase/frame/frail

*

*

Consonant Alliteration at the beginning of words: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words; alliteration, as in The fair breeze blew, the white foam flew. Also called head rhyme, initial rhyme. (write this down)

*
Forced Rhyme
Definition – A rhyme that is produced by changing the normal spelling of a word, or by changing the normal structure of a phrase. (write this down)

*
In my research it was clear that forced rhyme is a clear sign of an amateur writer. Forced rhyme is viewed as unprofessional, where the writer has convoluted the entire structure of the poem to make the rhyme fit. It is looked at as desperate or lazy by editors. Forced rhyme is considered one of the main reasons rhyming manuscripts are rejected by editors. It is suggested that reading good formal poetry, sending a manuscript to a critique group and utilizing a rhyming dictionary are all good solutions to forced rhyme. You can be sure that forced rhyme is definitely a rhyming crime! Don’t do it!

*

*

Inversion/Inverted Rhyme
Definition – Awkward rhyme where a word is purposely switched from its natural position in order to make a rhyme pattern fit; changing the normal word order of a sentence. (write this down)

*
For example: the last line is inverted
On a cool fall day
In the elm tree’s shade
I passed the time away
For you, I stayed. The natural flow of this line would be I stayed for you.

*

*

As author/poet Mary Oliver states in her book, A POETRY HANDBOOK “Good inversion is wonderful. Good inversion is difficult to achieve. Bad inversion is never wonderful and rarely difficult to achieve.”

*

*

*
Slant Rhymes/Half Rhymes/Off Rhyme
Definition – Words with sounds that are closely related but not identical. (write this down)

*
For example:
lace/less
seer/share
hear/ware
blonde/stand
here/chair

*

*

 

Internal Rhyme
Definition: a rhyme created by two or more words in the same line of verse. This is actually a common rhyme form, typically used in nursery rhymes. (write this down)

*
For example:
Jack Spratt could eat no fat
The cat sat on the mat
Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard
Simple Simon met a pieman
The crazy moose is loose in the caboose
I am the daughter of Earth and water

*

One big problem with rhyme is that different people pronounce the same word differently, based upon where they live.

*

*
Dialect – The way a language is spoken in a particular place or among a particular group of people.
There is plenty of room for discussion on this subject but not today as this lesson was much more involved than I thought it would be. You need to be aware of the words you choose and how they may be pronounced in other parts of the country or world.

*

For example, in the United States, there are more than a dozen different dialects of the English language spoken.

*

*

 

Resources:
http://www.rhymer.com/
A Poetry Community – I came across this online group…I don’t belong but it looks like it might be worthwhile.
http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/register.html
A POETRY HANDBOOK
http://www.amazon.com/A-Poetry-Handbook-Mary-Oliver/dp/0156724006

*

*

Writing Prompt: Make lists of rhyming words for each category above.

*

*

*

Okay, now do everything else on the pledge for today and don’t forget to comment on today’s blog post!
*

*
RhyPiBoMo Pledge
Please comment ONLY ONE TIME below for a chance to win today’s prize!
Prizes will be drawn by Random.com next Sunday for the previous week.
To be eligible for a prize you must be a registered participant and
comment after each days lessons.