30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets #30: Amy Ludwig Vanderwater on Revision

Today is the final day of National Poetry Month 2012. It's been a whirlwind. All this month, we have looked at writing habits of poets.

Children's poet and educator Amy Ludwig Vanderwater (of The Poem Farm) gets the last word. Appropriately, Amy's post is about the joys of revising drafts. She is also sharing a poem from one of her poem-a-day marathons.

Here is Amy:

A long time ago, I thought I loved writing.  But really, I loved the idea of writing more than I loved the work of writing.  I loved carrying a notebook, and I loved looking at my infrequent entries in that notebook.  I did not love revision.

Now, revision is my best friend, and I love her.  Revision means I have something to work with, words to tune, meters to tap, magic to find.  Today, each poem I send out or share goes through these few revision checks:

1.     LITTLE WORD CHECK – Cross out extra little words, words like and or the. Often, eliminating these will help a poem breathe. (Thank you, LBH!)

2.     SYLLABLE CHECK – Count and number the syllables in each line. Decide if the poem is or should be written in a regular meter.  Tap the table with my fingertips.

3.     VERB CHECK – If any verbs feel like weak handshakes, substitute beefier relatives.

4.     CLICHÉ  & METAPHOR CHECK – If a phrase sounds too familiar, Google it to see if it’s a cliché, a well-known metaphor, or just too-good-to-be-original.

5.     ALLITERATION CHECK – Change words where possible to give the poem more of a repetitive sound.

6.     ENDING CHECK – Reread the ending, and decide if it will leave a reader hungry or confused.  If so, write a few different endings and pick one of those instead.

7.     OTHER PERSON CHECK – Ask someone (preferably a child) to read the poem aloud without commenting.  Rework any lines which trip up this reader.

8.     MAGIC CHECK – If the technical qualities are strong, reread the poem looking for a flash of enchantment.  If there’s a hint of magic, grin.  If not, decide whether it will be allowed to go out into the world or if it needs to age a wee bit more!

You can ready Amy's accompanying post here.

Amy's National Poetry Month blog project was a dictionary hike, covering the 26 letters of the alphabet. If you visit Amy's blog today, all of the dictionary hike poems will be up.

And here is the recap of the poets and topics we covered in the "30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets" series.

April 1: Laura Shovan on Drinking Tea (and Laura's April Fool's Post)

April 2: Laura Purdie Salas on Relaxation

April 3: Allan Roy Andrews on Dreaming

April 4: Justine Rowden on Paying Attention

April 5: Liz Moser on Anchoring

April 6: Diane Mayr on Tubular Vision

April 7: William Wordsworth on Involving Your Pets

April 8: Nicole Schultheis on Food

April 9: Lisa Vihos on Practicing

April 10: Melanie Hope Greenberg on Inspiration + Drive

April 11: Jacqueline Jules on Finding Writing Time

April 12: Dennis Kirschbaum on Writer's Block

April 13: Robyn Hood Black on Haiku Mind

April 14: Kay Ryan on Reading

April 15: Leslie Rzeznik on Recording Yourself

April 16: Michael Tims on the Scientific Method

April 17: Charles Waters on a Training Regimen

April 18: Betsy Franco on "Bed Head"

April 19: Irene Latham on the 1:1 Ratio

April 20: Tabatha Yeatts Lonske on Seeing Patterns

April 21: William Stafford on Being the Early Bard

April 22: Laura Shovan on Reiki vs. Rekey

April 23: Kathy Figueroa on Chores

April 24: Barbara Westwood Diehl on Googling

April 25: Antonio Blunda on Music

April 26: On Fun

April 27: Jeannine Atkins on Multi-tasking

April 28: Nikki Giovanni on Personifying Poems

April 29: Honey Novick on Ars Poetica

April 30: Amy Ludwig Vanderwater on Revision

Beginning tomorrow, I'll be posting poems from my two recent elementary school residencies. Look for some great third grade Fibs.

30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets: Honey Novick on Ars Poetica

Many poets have an "ars poetica." The term refers to a self-reflective poem, in which the author uses poetic form to examine or define the nature of poetry.

For instance, Archibald MacLeish's poem, "Ars Poetica," concludes with the oft-quoted lines:

A poem should not mean

But be.

You can read the whole poem at The Academy of American Poets.

Writing an ars poetica is a useful exercise and I am fascinated with the variety of voices these poems produce. Another one of my favorites is "How Poetry Comes to Me" by Gary Snyder. Jane Hirschfield has a poem (wish I could remember the title!) about a nameless woman in another country, sitting down to write a poem.

Here is Ontario poet Honey Novick, with her ars poetica.

WHY I WRITE

by Honey Novick

(Inspired by my friend Lillian Allen)

As I age, writing connects my present to my future.
Placing pen to paper, I seek
all thoughts, experiences, expectations.
When vocalizing with others,
I ask them to tell me a story about their names,
that story is vocal expression.
Writing expresses a voice, my voice.

When I tell you that I love maple syrup,
I’m telling you more than a simple statement of fact,
more than a prosaic like or dislike,

I’m telling you that the historical, majestic maple tree
loses its foliage every autumn,
yet inside that defoliated maple tree entities are alive.
Those entities endure the harshness of winter
and when least expected but most needed,
they form little buds on the branch
an omen of hope
signalling that soon the time will come to drill a hole
into the bark of the tree,
or tap an existing spout,
awaiting the flow
of the warmest, tastiest, life-affirming sap
one can ever imagine tasting.

That is why I write.
I tell you who I am,
why I like what I like
what things mean to me.

Through writing I can share something with you.
Even if you don’t write, you can share something with me.
What you value, what you see,
What is it that makes you happy?

Do you love to dance,
take a chance,
do you think life is just happenstance?

Do you value independence,
or people telling you what to do,
letting someone else make up your mind for you?

Is your opinion important?
Do you want to be heard?

Having dialogue
is more that the noise of sounds chirred.

This why I write,
conversation, connection
daring to go beyond personal introspection.

Have you written an ars poetica? If so, did you set out to write one? I once read my poem "Driving Home from the Poetry Festival, 1996" at an event.  I was surprised when a poet came up to me and said it was an ars poetica. So maybe, like me,  you have written a poem about the act of writing poetry and didn't realize it.

My poem refers to the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival, which takes place every other year in New Jersey. It's happening again in October!

30 Habits of Highly Effective Authors #28: Nikki Giovanni on Personifying Poems

Nikki Giovanni has several poems that use the poem itself, or the act of writing, as a metaphor. When you read these poems together, the poem takes on a persona: A friend or beloved whose feelings for the speaker are unreliable. Giovanni speaks to the complicated relationship poets have with their words.

Habits

by Nikki Giovanni

i haven't written a poem in so long
i may have forgotten how
unless writing a poem
is like riding a bike
or swimming upstream
or loving you
it may be a habit that once acquired
is never lost

but you say i'm foolish
of course you love me
but being loved of course
is not the same as being loved because
or being loved despite
or being loved

if you love me why
do i feel so lonely 

Read the rest of the poem here.

My favorite lines are: "it may be a habit that once acquired/ is never lost." It's a message I share with students, beginning writers, and stuck writers. Once you're bitten by the writing bug, it will always be there for you.

Here is Nikki Giovanni performing, "Talk to Me Poem." It was featured on an early episode of Def Poetry Jam.

30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets: Jeannine Atkins on Multi-tasking

It's the last Poetry Friday of National Poetry Month and I am thrilled to be hosting my friend and fellow Poetry Friday blogger, Jeannine Atkins.

Jeannine and I met through Poetry Friday. She is the author of many books, including the historical verse biography, Borrowed Names: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J.Walker, Marie Curie and Their Daughters . (My interview with Jeannine about Borrowed Names is here.)

Jeannine has several books for children about important women in science. With her interest in science and nature, her efforts to teach girls about pioneering female scientists, and her excellence in poetry, Jeannine is an expert multi-tasker. Today, she's going to tell us how juggling tasks helps with her writing.

Here's Jeannine.

I’m not a fan of blank paper, so rarely begin there. Much of my writing is inspired by reading or paying close attention. I’m intrigued by small things I see, and pose questions, puttering through books or following threads on the computer, though WEB information often isn’t dusty or buried enough to intrigue me. I write out from the image, describing it, then the setting, and people who come upon it. I look for other concrete things that the first image calls to mind and collect those that collide or snap into place.

I find it helpful to have several projects going at once. I can embrace procrastination by goofing off on one by fiddling with another, and find that after all a poem is sneakily coming together.

Or you can always write a poem about procrastination, as I did here:

Not Today,

Mama says, There’s too much housework.

Please. Do not get sidetracked

by shirts that need pressing.

There will always be fine grime

on the china on the mantel,

corn to husk, cherries to pit, apples to core.

Ignore them. The dream begun under a tree

is sweeter than stories you tell yourself

over dirty dishes.

Life tempts most away from paper and pen,

but gently bring yourself back.

Who can resist gingerbread

with chocolate frosting,

but do you need to bake it now?         

If you must get out pots and pans,

come back and invite your distractions --

cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg -- onto the page.



 from Borrowed Names: Poems about Laura Ingalls Wilder, Madam C.J.Walker, Marie Curie and Their Daughters (Henry Holt, 2010), © 2010 Jeannine Atkins. All rights reserved.

Some of my family's other favorite books by Jeannine are:

We especially enjoyed Becoming Little Women
after a visit to the Alcotts' Orchard House.

You'll find links to every post in my "30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets" here.

Today's Poetry Friday host is my dear friend Tabatha at The Opposite of Indifference.

30 Habits of Highly Effective Poets #26: On Fun

 

It's Poem in Your Pocket Day.

During the last twenty-five days, we have looked at writing habits -- from researching ideas on Google, to scheduling regular writing time, and reciting poems into a recorder. Some of the posts have been funny but, so far, we haven't talked much about having fun.

Obviously, not every poetic topic lends itself to a party atmosphere. However, adding some fun into your writing routine is a good reminder that there is joy to be found in poetry.

So, go have fun with your writing today. Some suggestions:

• Attend a poetry event. Hanging out with friends or meeting new folks helps me feel connected to the local literary community. It's the last Thursday of National Poetry Month and Poem in Your Pocket Day. Poets.org has a list of happenings going on around the country today. I plan to spend the afternoon at Howard Community College's Blackbird Poetry Festival, featuring Kim Addonizio and Michael Cirelli.

• Host a "Poetic Formal." You could try this event in your classroom, at a library or bookstore. What is it? I'll let you know tomorrow, because my friends Shirley Brewer, Clarinda Harriss, Bruce Sager and I are hosting the first known Poetic Formal tonight. Loosely defined, a poetic formal is a reading of form poetry performed in kitschy formal clothing, with prizes going to creatively attired audience members. (Are you free tonight? I'll see you 6:30 PM at Baltimore's Village Learning Place. In addition to the prizes, free food and drink. Formal wear is optional. I'll be wearing a vintage 70s polyester "Goddess Gown.")

• Write an ode to something random. One of Pablo Neruda's odes to common things is "Ode to Laziness." He wrote another to a tomato. Odes are all about heightened language, hyperbole and tone. Looking around right now, I think "Ode to an Eraser" has potential.

• Write a song parody or poem parody. My fifth graders at Swansfield E. S. were working on song parodies yesterday. We did a version of "Jingle Bells" about the classroom's very dirty fish tank. It was a hoot.

Here is a poem parody that I wrote specifically for tonight's Poetic Formal event. (Friendly for HS and up only.) There's an article on villanelle form here.

Villanelle in 6/8 Time

By Laura Shovan

You are vile, Villanelle --

demands a la Twister,

corkscrewed nautilus shell.

I’ve done yoga (I fell).

It earned me a blister.

You are vile, Villanelle.

Elbow yellow! You yell.

My form’s a disaster --

corkscrewed nautilus shell.

Left foot red! That’s just swell,

reach under my keister.

You are vile, Villanelle,

a robotic gazelle,

with haywire transistor,

corkscrewed nautilus shell.

My vocab’s gone to hell.

I’m out of here, Mister.

You are vile, Villanelle.

Screw your nautilus shell.

 What do you do when you're in the mood for poetry fun?