Welcome to
RhyPiBoMo 2015 Day 10
Kristen Remenar
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Today’s guest blogger is a librarian, a national speaker on literacy, an author and is married to a well-known and very talented illustrator. She has all her literary bases covered! I have been virtual friends with her for a long time and hopefully someday soon we will connect in person as we only live one state apart. I am so excited about her debut rhyming picture book, GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA, coming out in December.
It is my pleasure to introduce
Kristen Remenar.
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Alliteration Adds Allure!
by Kristen Remenar
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Why do we say “Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you?” Apples are red. Honey is sweet, and so is candy, but substituting these words into the poem, even though the syllables fit, doesn’t work as well. The alliteration of “roses are red” and “sugar is sweet” adds something interesting to the rhyme. The rule “always avoid alliteration” does not apply to poetry for children. Playful alliteration and repetition of certain sounds can add another level of delight to a rhyming book. Study these masters to see how it’s done:
from Go, Go, Grapes! A Fruit Chant by April Pulley Sayre:
“Pineapple. Pomegranate.
Take your pick.
Yell for yumminess:
Kiwis – quick!”
from Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak:
“In January
it’s so nice
while slipping
on the sliding ice
to sip hot chicken soup
with rice.
Sipping once
sipping twice
sipping chicken soup
with rice.”
from The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz:
“See the piggy,
See the puddle,
See the muddy little puddle.
See the piggy in the middle
Of the muddy little puddle.
See her dawdle, see her diddle
In the muddy, muddy middle.
See her waddle, plump and little,
In the very merry middle.”
from Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy:
“Little Mabel blew a bubble, and it cause a lot of trouble…
Such a lot of bubble trouble in a bibble-bobble way.
For it broke away from Mabel as it bobbed across the table,
where it bobbled over Baby, and it wafted him away.”
from Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler:
“Bubble gum,
bubble gum,
Chewy-gooey bubble gum,
Icky-sticky bubble gum
Melting in the road.
Along comes a toad…
A fine, fat toad,
A fine, fat, wild
-SPLAT!-
wart-backed toad.”
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About: Kristen
Kristen Remenar is a children’s librarian, author, teacher, and a national speaker on literacy for the Bureau of Education & Research. Her first picture book, GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA, will be published by Charlesbridge in December 2015, and is illustrated by Matt Faulkner, award-winning author/illustrator and dearly loved husband of Kristen Remenar. The FaulkneRemenars live in Michigan.
Kristen’s Website
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Pre-Order it here!
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RhyPiBoMo 2015 Optional Writing Prompt: 10
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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.
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Today’s writing prompt is to write a mushy, rhyming, love poem with as much alliteration as you can muster!
Alliteration is a poetic technique in which a number of words, having the same first consonant sound and occur close together. Be silly with it and give an exaggerated effort to make this more fun!
For example:
When I sit and softly swoon
I gaze up gawking, like a goon.
I sing “sweet nothings” passion tune
to my gleaming Mr. Marigold Moon…he’ll blossom here real soon!
© 2015 Angie Karcher
Silly fun but you get the idea!
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Maya Angelou Webinar Poetry Contest
(Only for those who attended the webinar last Saturday night.)
Those who attended the Maya Angelou celebration webinar last week were invite to submit a poem about civil rights today. Jackie Wellington generously offered to donate a copy of Maya Angelou’s POETRY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
After much deliberation our esteemed judges Pam Courtney, Natalie Davis Miller and Charles Waters determined
the winner is…
Dawn Young
Congratulations Dawn!
Here is Dawn’s poem and two others written for the contest
by Ann Magee and Bev Langill.
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If everyone just understood…
By Dawn Young
It blows my mind, it bothers me
when I see things I often see.
Ruthless people acting cruel,
forsaking our most golden rule.
Sprouting hate with roots in race,
blooming doom that buds disgrace.
Ignorance, so cold and callous
molding blind and mindless malice.
Have a heart. Before you start
to slice and dice and tear apart
someone with a different view,
Think…How’d you like that done to you?
If everyone just understood,
how that feels then no one would
do these things I often see,
these things that really bother me.
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Revolution of LOVE Needed
by Bev Langill
War, intolerance, hate,
Boko Haram, Al Shabaab, Feguson, Indiana ,
Killing, raping, beheading, bombing
Forcing their religion, their beliefs
On people different from them,
Whether by religion, colour or sexual orientation.
Yet, no one is better than anyone else
No one has the right to push their own agenda.
Love thy neighbour as themselves
What a radical belief
As powerful now as 2000 years ago
A message repeated in all major religions
Love over hate.
A revolution is needed
Not of war, but of LOVE
Not of killing, but of embracing
Creating a world where all thrive and are loved and accepted.
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NAMES AND NUMBERS
a civil rights poem
By Ann Magee
Did Michael Brown know 100 years before his Mama gave him his name,
Judge Ferguson placed blame on Mr. Plessy for his blackness?
We knew.
Did Michael Brown know 58 years later, another black man named Brown stood tall,
anchored to the ground like an ancient apple tree so his daughter could gather
the fruit of knowledge?
We knew.
Did Michael Brown know 60 years later he would graduate high school,
and 8 days later he’d be shot 12 times at 12 o’clock noon,
90 seconds after he encountered police in Ferguson, Missouri?
We didn’t know either.
But we should have.
How many train cars, water fountains, chairs at the café counter,
blocks walked to school, seats on the bus, and steps marched in protest
do we need to count?
How many times will we let history repeat itself?
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Thank you
to all our judges for your time and support of RhyPiBoMo 2015!
Thanks also to all who came to the webinar to celebrate a great woman and to those who sent in poems for the contest. It was an impromptu opportunity and had a short turnover time but I appreciate your thoughtful words. Maybe, you can use your poem in a way that will do good in the world…Maya would like that!
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Golden Quill Poetry Contest
The Golden Quill Poetry Contest will accept entries STARTING April 13th and the deadline is April 25th midnight Central Time.
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PLEASE make sure you read the contest rules and follow them exactly. Unfortunately, due to the number of poems we will receive, a poem will be disqualified if it does not follow the guidelines exactly. This is only fair to those who did follow the rules and is good practice for us as writers because editors expect those guidelines to be followed to the letter.
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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.
Submit poems to
Angiekarcherrpbm@gmail.com
by April 25th midnight central time
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Official RhyPiBoMo 2015 Registration ended on April 8th.
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.
To see if you registered in time go to the Master Registration List on the drop down menu under the RhyPiBoMo Blog tab above.
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Angie Karcher 
Don’t deliberate,
Always alliterate!
🙂
– Al Lane
Perfectly put, Al! 🙂
MaDonna Maurer – Thanks for the fun examples. They must be read out loud, so my daughter got an extra treat today.
MaDonna, I’m so glad you’re reading these aloud. Poetry is meant to be shared so both the reader and the listener are involved. 🙂
Thanks Kristen. Yeah for Michigan! Have always loved Bubble Trouble! Rhyme and alliteration together = fun!
Hi, Vicki! Waving my Michigan Mitten at you!
Congratulations Dawn!
Maria Marshall
Thanks for the excellent examples of alliteration. I have also liked Jack Prelutsky’s funny, quirky poems with fun alliteration – such as ” Kitty Caught a Caterpillar.” And Congratulations Dawn!
Maria, I agree, Jack Prelutsky is a guaranteed hit when sharing poetry. Glad you enjoyed this post! And yes, congratulations to Dawn and all the brave poets who shared!
Caroline Twomey- Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum -very well done! Great post Kristen thank you, really enjoyed reading these poems!
Thanks, Caroline! Lisa Wheeler’s “Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum” is a book I share to show how interesting rhyme patterns can be incorporated to make a simple story spectacular. Lisa Wheeler is a master of meter!
Kristen,
Lovely alliterations. I could see the building in each of the stanzas you presented. I really hadn’t thought of tension building in quite that way. Thank you so much for the post. Good luck with your book.
Deborah, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I’ve heard that editors aren’t looking for rhyme, but I think that really they don’t want poorly done rhyme. Rhyming well takes a great deal of work, but the outcome is so engaging!
Great examples!
Thanks, Iza! (Squeeee! It’s Iza Trapani!!!!!)
Manju Howard: Kristen, I think alliteration makes reading fun. Dawn, I embrace your poem “If everyone just understood…”
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Manju, and I agree, Dawn’s poem is wonderful!
An amazing approach to alliteration! Thanks Kristen.
Glad you enjoyed it, Bev!
“Playful” alliteration and repetition is the perfect way to think of it. Thanks for the good mentor verses, Kristen. Val McCammon
It’s my pleasure, Val!
I like lines with alliterations; they make words sing and sing-song-words are cause for celebration.
🙂
I absolutely agree, Linda! 🙂
Loved the alliterations!
Daryl Gottier
Glad you enjoyed them, Daryl!
Fun post! I love using alliterations in my poems.
Glad to meet another poet who plays with pleasing poems!
Ginger Weddle – Kristen, You inspire me to play with alliteration. Thank you!
Ginger, I hope you have much happiness playing with your poetry!
Ann Kelley – Thank you Kristen for all the wonderful alliterations! I’m inspired to go a deeper with my own. Thanks!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Ann!
LOVE Alliteration! Thanks, Kristen for this feature on it! Looking forward to your book release! Lynne Marie Pisano
So happy you enjoyed it Marie, and I hope you dig GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA!
Natasha Garnett
Thanks, Kristen and congratulations on Groundhog. How awesome to have an illustrator in the house!
Thanks, Natasha! I can’t tell you what a thrill it was to watch my picture book manuscript come to life through my husband’s work!
Joanne Sher LOVES alliteration. And this post. And sentences that start with and. And the cover of Kristen’s book. AND the fact that she lives in “my” state. Great stuff!
Joanne, you’re a Michigan Maiden, too? Hi! (waving my Mitten). Glad you enjoyed my post! And my book cover! And writing conversationally! (me, too!)
Linda Schueler: Awesome alliteration examples! Thanks for the post. And congratulations to the winners of the poetry contest.
Thanks, Linda!
Kristen, Thank you for sharing your alliteration ideas. They do make an impact in our writing. – Judy Rubin
Thanks, Judy! Sometimes alliteration or well-used poetic devices can lift a manuscript from cute to captivating. 🙂
I find alliteration done well is very satisfying, but too much is a definite turn-off. Great examples of alliteration that works. I especially liked Maurice Sendak’s.
Thanks, Natalee! And I agree with you – the amount of alliteration can add to the experience or annoy! (Sorry, it’s hard to stop sometimes!) 🙂
Alliteration is one of my favorite poetic techniques. Thanks for sharing some fun examples, Kristen. Congratulations to Dawn and the other awesome poets who entered the Maya Angelou poetry contest… the poems are all incredibly passionate! -Carrie Charley Brown
Carrie Charley Brown – hi! Glad you liked the examples, and glad to see your sweet smile on this site! Mwah!
Thanks for the fabulously fun foray – this window into a world of wordplay – these strung strands of selected sounds – alive, alliteration, calling attention to this repeated, reverberating, resonating rhetorical device.
A thousand thanks, Marianne! I’m proud that you perceived this poetry post to be pleasing!
Thanks for the fabulously fun foray – this window into a world of wordplay – these strung strands of selected sounds – alive, alliteratiive, calling attention to this repeated, reverberating, resonating rhetorical device. – Marianne Gage
Elaine Hillson – Loved the examples Kristen. Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed the examples, Elaine!
Thank you for sharing such fun alliterative poems, Kristen 🙂 I love alliteration, too…maybe too much, if that’s possible. Rene` Aube
Thanks, Rene! Is it possible to have a plethora of alliterative poetry? Perhaps! 🙂
Melanie Ellsworth – Thank you, Kristen, for those terrific examples of alliteration. My daughter and I love Lisa Wheeler’s Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum, and now we can look forward to reading your book in December. And congratulations, Dawn, on your poetry win!
Melanie, Lisa Wheeler’s books are some of my favorites, too! I hope you enjoy GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA!
Rita Allmon– Thanks, Kristen, for this post showing us the allure of alliteration… and sharing Sayre, Sendak, Lisa Wheeler, Pomerantz, and Mahy– the masters to study.
It’s always my pleasure to share great poets and poetry, Rita! 🙂
Katey Howes: So psyched to savor and study the silly, sweet and sassy presented in this post! (Kudos, Kristen!)
Thank you kindly, Katey! 🙂
Wonderful examples of alliteration! It appears that the more alliteration you have, the better. Thanks for the post.
Thanks, Kristi! I think alliteration, like many poetic devices, is like spice: a bit of it can add a lot of flavor. 🙂
Lori Laniewski: Thanks, Kristen! 🙂
My pleasure, Lori!
Sandy Powell — I love using the alliteration technique. Thanks for a fun post to read.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Sandy!
Rachel Hamby
Thanks, Kristen. Such fun wordplay in the writing samples you shared.
It’s my pleasure, Rachel!
Jill Proctor – Thanks, Kristen. I LOVE alliteration, and I loved your examples. I had never heard the rule, “avoid alliteration.” (Except in children’s books) And congratulations to Dawn and the other poetry winners!
Hi, Jill! “Always avoid alliteration” is one of those joke-y writer rules. I think alliteration can be like salt – a pinch adds flavor, but too much can overwhelm. 🙂
Charlotte Dixon-Thank you, Kristen, for the reminder about using alliteration in our poems. Your examples are perfect and fun to read.
Congratulations to Dawn, Bev and Ann! You ladies rock 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Charlotte! And yes, congratulations to Dawn, Bev and Ann!
Kathleen Mazurowski
Alliteration is my favorite and sometimes only poetic technique that I use in daily life. I even taught the word to kindergarteners!
Kathleen, hooray for teaching kindergartners about alliteration!
Mary Warth
Thanks so much for the fun post!
Chicken Soup With Rice is a fily favorite. I’ll have to pull out the Nutshell Library tonight!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Mary, and I’m glad that you’re a fan of the Nutshell Library, too!
Lynn Alpert – Kristen, congrats on the approaching publication of your picture book! I adored your array of alliterative passages.
p.s. Congrats Dawn! Your poem, as well as Ann and Bev’s – are beautifully moving.
It’s my pleasure to share great poetry, Lynn, and I hope you dig GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA, too!
Mona Pease Thanks Kristen for your fun post. How we must think of the wondrous words we write.
I absolutely agree, Mona! 🙂
I love all the rhyming books you shared and am looking forward to reading Groundhog’s Dilema.
Thank you, and I hope you “dig” my groundhog book!
Loved the poetry you shared in your post. So fun to read aloud. Congrats on your upcoming book release! — Annie Bailey
Thanks so much, Annie, and I’m glad you read the poetry aloud!
always loved using alliteration. Rhyming is hard to do but it is so fun and alliteration helps a lot thanks Kristen-Rita Antoinette Borg
I’m glad you found the alliteration agreeable!
love alliteration and loved your examples. Katie Gast
Thanks, Katie!
Thanks for the alliteration illustrations, Kristen. And congratulations on your book!
Also, my reaction to Ann Magee’s “Names and Numbers” was wow!
Thanks so much, Sarah! And I agree, the poems posted here by the poets were outstanding!
I love playing with and reading alliteration! It can really make the lines pop off the page. Thanks for the great examples! Sandy Perlic
I absolutely agree with you, Sandy! Thanks!
I enjoyed all these poems, including those by Dawn, Ann, and Bev. Congratulations, Dawn!
Glad you enjoyed them, Sydney!
Thanks, Kristen! I also love April’s Trout Trout, and especially love her lyrical nonfiction. I look forward to reading your debut as well!
Maria Gianferrari
Maria, I’m a huge fan of April Pulley Sayre’s books. I hope you enjoy GROUNDHOG’S DILEMMA!
I love using alliteration! In the right doses. Thank you for these examples! Your debut book looks awesome.
Thanks so much, Maria! And I agree with you – the amount of alliteration can add to the experience or annoy!
Delicious fun! And congratulations to the winners!
Thanks, Kathy! And yes, those were some outstanding poems by the winners!