Welcome to

RhyPiBoMo 2015 Day4

Marilyn Singer

    

Photo by Laurie Gaboardi/The Litchfield County Times.

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 As I was creating my wish list of bloggers for this year one name sat right at the top.  She is an author and an outstanding poet who has written over 100 books and has even created her own form of poetry. This writing community is always so supportive of new writers and I am thankful for all the wonderful authors and poets who agree to participate in RhyPiBoMo!

It is my honor to introduce,

Marilyn Singer

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* Photo by Laurie Gaboardi/The Litchfield County Times.

 

TO RHYME OR NOT TO RHYME

by Marilyn Singer

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One evening at dinner, a group of friends and I were trying to define poetry.   We were not attempting to define GOOD poetry—just what is a poem at all.   We all agreed on one thing:  if it rhymes, then it’s a poem.  It may be a totally lousy one, but it’s a poem.

We also agreed that a poem doesn’t HAVE to rhyme.   But then we got onto shaky ground re: free verse. I don’t think we reached any consensus.  I recounted a story that took place when I was in first grade or so and I’d recently started writing poetry, all of which rhymed.  My teacher suggested that I try my hand at free verse.  So I did—and I ended up writing a prose paragraph about roller skating.  It was not a poem by any stretch of the imagination, and I’m certain that, had they read it, my dinner companions would have agreed.

So we know when something is a paragraph, right, and not a poem, right?  But what if you take the same words and break them up into short lines?  What if you remove the punctuation?   And if you throw in a metaphor or two, what then?  Come to think of it, what if you throw in a metaphor or two into what is clearly a paragraph?  Is it still prose?  These are the questions that keep me up at night.  Well, not really.  But they do enliven dinner parties (depending on your guests).

Here’s the thing:  when it comes to children’s poetry, most people don’t think about paragraphs or free verse at all.  They think about rhyme.  So, I thought it might be fun to put together a list of “Myths about Rhyme” and tackle these thornier questions about what is a poem some other time (preferably way in the future).

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MYTHS ABOUT RHYME

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1.  Rhyme is easy to write.

2.  All kids’ poetry must rhyme.

3.  Rhyme is only for children. (See “Spring and Fall to a Young Child” by Gerard Manley Hopkins)

4.  Publishers like rhyme. (They don’t unless it’s good)

5.  Publishers hate rhyme. (They don’t unless it’s bad)

6.  Nonsense words make for successful rhyming poems or picture books.   Unless you’re Lewis Carroll or Dr. Seuss, not likely.

7.  Rhyme will make an old idea fresh.  No way, José.

8.  The only good rhyme is an end rhyme.

9.  Rhyme is only for light verse.  (See another Hopkins–Lee Bennett)

10.  Only certain subjects are fit for poetry, period.  And rhyme is only fit for certain subjects.

11.  Great poets always write great poems.  (See the Emily Dickinson piece below)

12.  Rhyme is passé.

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So when should you choose to use rhyme?  That’s a hard question to answer, but I’d say when you hear it in your head, when the poem insists upon it, when it makes sense in music and meaning.  When is rhyme something you shouldn’t choose?  Well, the myths above should give you some clues and tell you when rhyme is something to lose.

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SPRING AND FALL TO A YOUNG CHILD

Gerard Manley Hopkins

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Márgarét, are you gríeving

Over Goldengrove unleaving?

Leáves, líke the things of man, you

With your fresh thoughts care for, can you?

Ah!  ás the heart grows older

It will come to such sights colder

By and by, nor spare a sigh

Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie;

And yet you wíll weep and know why.

Now no matter, child, the name:

Sórrow’s spríngs áre the same.

Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed

What heart heard of, ghost guessed:

It ís the blight man was born for,

It is Margaret you mourn for.

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From Been to Yesterdays (Wordsong/Boyds Mills)©1995 by Lee Bennett Hopkins:

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“WE

have to

move again

tonight.

Mama’s money’s spent.

I don’t have

enough to make

our monthly rent.

The check

that Daddy said

he’d send

was never sent.”

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Again

I look

at empty boxes

and I know

what they

are for.

They’re

made

to store

some things

you live

your whole life

for–

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a teddy bear,

books,

old door keys,

silent

lasting

memories.

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Stowed in cardboard

corners,

memories rest

quietly

in paper chests

there–

when you need them most

to move you on–

there–

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when we must take

flight

in the middle

of a wrinkled,

corrugated night.

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In the “Oy, Vey” category:  IF I CAN STOP ONE HEART FROM BREAKING

Emily Dickinson

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If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

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About Marilyn:

Winner of the 2015 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry, Marilyn Singer is the author of over one hundred books, many of which are poetry collections, including Mirror Mirror (Dutton), for which she created the “reverso” form.  Her latest poetry books are: Rutherford B., Who Was He?: Poems about Our Presidents (Disney-Hyperion); Follow Follow:  A Book of Reversos (Dial); A Strange Place to Call Home (Chronicle); and The Superheroes Employment Agency (Clarion).  Her third book of reversos, Echo Echo, will be published next year by Dial.

http://www.amazon.com/Superheroes-Employment-Agency-Marilyn-Singer/dp/0547435592/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427527662&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=The+Super+Heros+Employment+Agency

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 Thank you so much Marilyn!

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RhyPiBoMo 2015 Optional Writing Prompt:4

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This is NOT part of the pledge. It is an option for a writing exercise for those interested. You will not publically share this as part of RhyPiBoMo but may keep a journal of your writing this month for your own review.

Today’s writing prompt is to write a rhyming poem about a somber subject. Use rhyme as the ending lines as well as internally.

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For example:

 Wearing a smile while feeling so sad,

Refusing, not choosing to cry.

Leaving while grieving a moment in time,

Beguiling, still smiling, but why?

Feelings are hidden,  forbidden to show.

Strength, divine armor to shine. (shine rhymes with divine and sign)

And just when you feel the real heart of the beast,

Weary teardrops fall down as a sign.

 © 2015 Angie Karcher

 

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Congratulations to

Week 1 Prize Winners

Mon      Kirsti Call  Won a copy of BEAR’S LOOSE TOOTH Donated by Dawn Young

Tues     Maria Bostian  Won a copy of SUPERWORM Donated by Dawn Young

Wed      Melanie Ellsworth Won a copy of TEENY TINY TRUCKS Donated by Tim McCanna

Thurs   Lori Laniewski  Won a copy of an Autographed Book Donated by Nikki Grimes

Fri         Darshana Khiani  Won a copy of WORD BUILDER Donated by Ann Whitford Paul

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“Friday Favorites” Winner – Elaine Hillson  Won a Rhyming Manuscript Critique Donated by Angie Karcher (after April – 500 words or less) Elaine, please contact me in May. Congrats!

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 Congratulations to the week 1 winners!

Thank you to our generous prize donors!

Winners, PLEASE message me your address on Facebook

or email it to Angiekarcherrpbm@gmail.com

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Golden Quill Poetry Contest

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The Golden Quill Poetry Contest will accept entries STARTING April 13th and the deadline is April 25th midnight Central Time.

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Contest Rules:

First and Last name included in the body of the email at the top left

Email address included in the body of the email at the top left

Phone number – top left

Space down 5 spaces

The Theme is: Freedom

Title of poem – centered with no by line or name here

8 line limit

Must be a rhyming poem

You will be judged on clever title, rhyme scheme, rhythm, scansion, perfect rhyming words, internal rhyme, alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and clever ending.

Poems due to Angiekarcherrpbm@gmail by April 25th midnight central time

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Format example:

First and Last Name

Email

Phone Number

Poem Title

Line 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

*Any poem that strays from this format will be disqualified.

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PLEASE REMEMBER!!!

Add both your FIRST and LAST names to your daily comment! This is what enables you to be eligible for a prize that day. Many people are forgetting!! I request this because the reply section doesn’t give me your name unless it’s a part of your email address. And even then sometimes it’s very hard for me to figure out the exact name.

How I choose daily winners…Late each Saturday night, I will go back to Monday’s comments and count how many there are. I then type that number into a randomizer program that choose a number for me. I count from the first post down to that number and that is the daily winner. If that post doesn’t have a first and last name listed it will not win. I will then go to the next post that has a first and last name listed. I will do this for each day of the week and announce the winners on the following Monday.

Please DO NOT go back now and add another comment now as I need each person to only comment one time to keep things fair. Thanks!

Good Luck and ADD YOR FIRST and LAST NAME to your comment!!!! = )

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More information coming soon concerning

Rhyming Critique Groups and

the Barnes and Noble BookFair

Stay tuned!

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Official RhyPiBoMo 2015 Registration ends this Wednesday, April 8th, Midnight Central Time

so register now!

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If you are not officially registered you will not be able to participate in the Golden Quill Poetry Contest, in Rhyming Critique Groups or will not be eligible for daily prizes.

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To see if you are registered go to the Master Registration List on the drop down menu under the RhyPiBoMo Blog tab above.

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Registration Link:

https://angiekarcher.wordpress.com/rhypibomo-2015-registration/

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Please comment below. You MUST add your FIRST and LAST names

to be eligible for today’s prize!