{"id":742,"date":"2016-01-11T21:12:22","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T01:12:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=742"},"modified":"2016-01-11T21:12:22","modified_gmt":"2016-01-12T01:12:22","slug":"poetry-or-prose-intersections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sherryquanlee.com\/?p=742","title":{"rendered":"Poetry or Prose, intersections"},"content":{"rendered":"

Poetry or Prose, intersections<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

House on Mango Street<\/em> by Sandra Cisneros is my go to text for teaching Intro to Creative Writing.\u00a0 I require a literature book in each genre:\u00a0 poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.\u00a0 But, House on Mango Street<\/em> is my intro to the course.\u00a0 I believe there are more exceptions to rules than there are rules.\u00a0 Cisneros\u2019 book is magical as it crosses boundaries.\u00a0 Not only do we wonder: fiction or nonfiction (another discussion), but House on Mango Street, <\/em>which consists of interrelated yet stand alone vignettes, is prose heavily laden with a poet\u2019s pen of figurative language:\u00a0 metaphors, similes, personification, alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia.\u00a0 A mix of poetry and prose.\u00a0 We recognize prose by sentences and paragraphs.\u00a0 We recognize poetry by rhythm and sound.\u00a0 We experience both as we read House on Mango Street<\/em>.\u00a0 Teaching House on Mango Street<\/em> is an easy segue into teaching the craft of poetry.<\/p>\n

figurative language:\u00a0 essence of meaning beyond literal<\/p>\n

metaphor: comparison of two unlike things (more impactful than a simile)<\/p>\n

simile: comparison of two unlike things using \u201clike\u201d or \u201cas\u201d<\/p>\n

personification: when an inanimate object takes on a human persona<\/p>\n

alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds<\/p>\n

assonance: repetition of vowel sounds<\/p>\n

onomatopoeia: a word that sounds like the sound of the word (snap, crackle, pop of Rice Krispies\u2019 fame)<\/p>\n

I start each class with a timed writing.\u00a0 This gives students time to unwind and let go of: a bad day at work, rush hour traffic, fast food, boyfriends\/girlfriends, husbands\/wives, kids, assignments for other classes, credit card bills, and the list goes on.\u00a0 Usually I give them a writing prompt. Timed writings, which ignore spelling and punctuation and grammar, allow for momentum and conscious free writing.\u00a0 Timed writings can also be re-versioned into prose, prose poetry, or free verse poetry.<\/p>\n

prose poetry: paragraph(s) form; uses sentences and punctuation<\/p>\n

free verse poetry: the poet determines what rules to follow in formatting a poem; not formal poetry like sonnets or villanelles<\/p>\n

Similarly, I will choose a paragraph or several from House on Mango Street<\/em> and ask students to rewrite the prose into poetry.\u00a0 This becomes a good exercise in line breaks:\u00a0 end stop lines and enjambment.\u00a0 Students are asked one by one to write a line from the prose on the white board so together they create a poem and discuss various options for the format.\u00a0 Later, I provide a handout with a variety of ways I have re-versioned the excerpt from House on Mango Street<\/em>.<\/p>\n

end stopped lines: a complete thought, sometimes indicated with a period<\/p>\n

enjambment:\u00a0 when a poetic thought flows from one line to another<\/p>\n

Poetry and prose can intersect in multiple ways.\u00a0 Prose might incorporate figurative language (we use metaphors and similes in every day conversations, whether talking or texting). \u00a0Poetry can take the form of prose.\u00a0 As a writer, creativity is your art.\u00a0 It is imaginative as well as resourceful.\u00a0 As you create, let imagination take free rein, as you re-version let your knowledge of craft lead.<\/p>\n

Reading Exercise:\u00a0 <\/strong>as you read House on Mango Street,<\/em> search for figurative language.\u00a0 Write examples of found metaphor, simile, personification, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia.<\/p>\n

Writing Exercise:\u00a0 <\/strong>randomly choose a few paragraphs in a book.\u00a0 Rewrite the paragraphs transforming them into poetry.\u00a0 Pay attention to line breaks.\u00a0 Where do you want the reader to pause; where do you want the poem to read full steam ahead?\u00a0 Read the poem aloud; do you pause in sync with the punctuation?\u00a0 Do you read on with less, or without, pause where there are enjambments?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a9Sherry Quan Lee, January 10, 2016<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poetry or Prose, intersections   House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is my go to text for teaching Intro to Creative Writing.\u00a0 I require a literature book in each genre:\u00a0 poetry, nonfiction, and fiction.\u00a0 But, House on Mango Street is my intro to the course.\u00a0 I believe there are …<\/p>\n

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