Another Good Exercise from The Practice of Poetry
J.D. McClatchy says to take a poem, he gives specific suggestions about what kind of poem to select, but generally, he says to take a poem you admire and retype it so that there is space to write between each line. Then he says to write your own line in each of those spaces. Next, take the scaffolding down and see what kind of poem you've written between the lines. That's what the exercise is called, "Writing Between the Lines." It's on page 155 of The Practice of Poetry edited by Behn and Twichell. McClatchy goes on to say to label this poem you've written between the lines as Part I. He says to write a part II that extends or continues or departs from Part I. I think McClatchy's right. You should do this.
Pick a poem.
Ready?
Go.
Pick a poem.
Ready?
Go.
posted by Anonymous at 6:21 PM
14 Comments:
Oh, I'll do it. Eventually. But geez, lemme finish the project exercise first, eh?
Ever do Dove's exercise in that book? I love love love that writing exercise. It's my absolute favorite. I've recommended it to other writers who were "stuck" and it manages to unstick them much to their amazement.
With an exercise like the one you posted, it'd be fun to pick one poem then have a group of people tackle it to see how different the responses would be.
Hey, no pressure.
What poem do you want to pick?
Who should we invite to do this?
I'll try this exercise soon, after I finish the first one you posted. I'm about halfway through.
It's been very absorbing to do this! Don't know if my work's any good, or if it will hang together well in the end, but it gets me in the flow.
(Laurel got me started!)
I did one last night. Wrote in between the lines of the first poem in Ashbery's "your name here". Scribbled it into the book right before sleep. Might post it in a bit if it's not too godawful in the bright cold light of this Sunday morning. I was just reading Plath's "Wintering" and trying to write in between her lines. It's a longer piece though which makes it tricky.
If we choose one poem, hmmmmm....I don't know who to choose. Maybe we could each suggest a poem and take a stab at each suggestion?
I've kind of stalled on the projects. I'll have to try to catch up today.
All right. Projects! Exercises!
The more the merrier.
How about we use a James Galvin poem from his book X? There's some amazing writing in that book, and I hardly ever hear anyone mention him or it.
Please. Choose one of his poems and post it on your blog. I don't know his name at all.
I was going to select Kenyon's Blue Bowl.
Think I'll go google Galvin now.
Ah. I just read his "Post-Modernism" found on the Academy of American Poetry page and liked it a helluva lot.
Oh, and I forgot to say: We should invite any and all who'd like to participate. Sounds like Kathryn's in. What about Glenn? Anyone else wandering through? My motto, when it comes to writing exercises is: The more the merrier.
The more writing exercises AND the more participants.
Galvin used to be married to J. Graham. As I understand it, she left him. In X, basically, he blasts her, but it's a beautiful and sad blasting. As I said, I think it's his best book.
I'll type up one of his poems tomorrow morning or afternoon. Depends on when I get up. It's spring break.
And yeah, "Postmodernism" is the poem with the aspen in it, isn't it? We could use it if you want.
As a relative newcomer, I gave it a shot. (Will there some day be a time when I won't feel apologetic over the fact that I've hardly read poetry and know nothing about the people you mention in the comments? When I won't qualify every comment with an explanation? Is there ever a point where one has written and read enough to feel legitimate?)
Let's. Post-Modernism, for sure. And maybe that blue bowl poem too.
Ok. Kenyon's "The Blue Bowl" and Galvin's "Postmodernism." Kathryn, you want to pick a third poem? Anything you like. This is low pressure. There's no wrong answer. No need to justify what you pick.
Nice exercise.
I actually agreed to do NaPoWriMo again this year, so I'm storing up these "get me unstuck!" ideas.
Poem a day for a month?
Sounds like a good month.
Good luck.
***
Hey, wait. That reminds me. Doesn't David Lehman have a book that he made out of writing a poem a day for a year?
NaPoWriMo might need to up the ante.
To me, 40 or 50 poems in a month sounds more equal to the 50,000 word goal of NaNoWriMo.
Am I wrong?
40 or 50? Anyone have a paper bag? I think I'm hyperventilating.
Post a Comment
<< Home