Mental Meanderings

The Tools of Poetry Workshop

One of the tasks on my to-do list that seemed most daunting was getting a workshop started for my poetry group. Today as I was dropping my daughter off to school and then walking a further 20 minutes to the post office I got to pondering about the task and writing notes. For some reason pushing a pram and walking and trying to scrawl notes on a notepad is particularly difficult. It is however at these times when most of my brilliant ideas come to me. I suppose I should be thankful it's not while I'm showering (although ideas come then too).

Anyway, when I finally got home and the power was restored after an hour blackout that began before I left (and thankfully didn't last much longer after I got home) I settled into the computer to stare at the screen. *blushes* Yeah, that's pretty much what I did for the first hour. I threw in the perusal of some blogs and double, triple and quadruple checking of my email but ultimately I was trying to begin the workshop.

Eventually I reached the point of beginning. Created the book and the forum and got hard to work. Hours later I present "Invalid Item"  This is a poetry workshop that will focus on one of the various techniques poets have used throughout time. From alliteration, metaphor, imagery, repartition, rhyme and meter to the various forms and ranging subjects of poetry. Each week I'll select one and focus on it, learning about it myself and then presenting a 'lesson' for others.

I write 'lesson' since I struggle to call it such. I hesitate to feel capable of presenting such a thing to other poets. I'm by no means an expert on the matter and I deliberately chose alliteration for the first week because it's one of the few techniques I have some idea how to use. I've used the technique to great effect in "Destiny? Doom!!!"  The reviews have been almost unanimously approving of the alliterative devices in that poem.

Still, it's a daunting prospect. I really only created the group because I searched for something on this site that offered such open communication and thirst to learn from other poets on the site but could not find one. Creating one was the next best step. I'm only a student of the art myself. There is certainly so many more gifted poets on the site that could present the information better then I ever could.

Hopefully I don't disgrace the name of poet with my articles. Truthfully I'd much rather be a participant of this sort of workshop then the host. I'd much rather be taking this week to practice alliteration with my fellow poets rather than studying and putting to practice whichever 'tool' I decide to focus on next week (taking recommendations btw). Not to mention, I'd much rather be the one eligable for the weekly merit badge awards rather than the one given them away. *chuckles*

Still, I hope it encourages the group to participate and I hope the workshop will prove useful for poets who follow in my footsteps. Perhaps I'll have the opportunity to have guest 'speakers' some weeks. One advantage is although I have to do everything a week ahead of the other members I am at least getting to practice these new techniques and styles. In this way I'm benifiting from the workshop myself.

I just hope that people enjoy the workshop, grow and develop their writing, and I hope my poetry and overall writing also improves. I also hope that working on the "Invalid Item"  group doesn't end up taking so much of my time that I slack off in other areas of my writing and reviewing.

Ohh since we're on the topic of the PPP I just have to show off the five signature images I've put together for group members to use:

** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **

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Now, time to drag myself to bed, big day tomorrow with lots of housework and a bathroom to rip out. *grins* Yep, renovations in full swing here at the moment. The men dug out the shed and driveway today ready for paving and tomorrow the bathroom is going to be gutted. Which reminds me, I'm going to have a final shower in the 30yo bathroom tonight because it'll be a while before we have a bathroom here and for the next few days the kids and I will be ransacking my mothers house for such amenities.