Ode

Since April is National Poetry Month, it is always in order to write a poem.  An ode is a long, lyric poem, often addressed to someone or something.  It can be thought of as a "tribute" and is often written to celebrate a person, being, object or event.  Choose something on which you can write an ode and begin.  It may be your mother, your dog, or the pencil on your desk.  Pay tribute to the specific little thing you appreciate and include figurative language as you do.  Here's a sample from one of my previous students:

Ode to Spring
Out of winter is born an
iridescent world of
flowers.
The woods turn green,
the flowers bloom,
Earth
Has awakened
Into pollen filled air,
Tinted with the scent of
Beauty
Drifting from the now green tree tops,
When winter's heavy
Coat if lifted,
The burden of snow taken from the grass,
Spring
Is welcomed with
Open arms,
As our world transforms,
April
Breaks through the ice
That held it back for long enough.
As the sun's rays
Convey refreshing sense of rejuvenation
In earth's new look,
The birds sing louder,
TBD.....

Nature, Finally

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and held the club outside for the day.  The prompt is to actually sit outside and let something inspire you to write.  Some personified the wind, others a tree or a blade of grass.  Let this new spring weather take you somewhere and see where you go.

Exploded Moments, Letters From the Future, and Everyday Objects

In sets of two today, we exploded the moment, "I was embarrased," which resulted in two different but very creative pieces (we met Barsa).  I meant to post these samples so I will have to get them...  We decided that we would like to begin a kind of literary magazine with a printed collection of our writing, artwork, and photos. 

There are two writing suggestions for this week:  a letter from your future self to somebody in your life now, or a tribute to an everyday object (like dish soap).  Take a look at some of these letters from students' future selves:

http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/pride_prejudice/article/21969/Letters-From-Our-Future-Selves/

Again, anyone is welcome to write, post, and share...even if you don't make it to the meetings! 

A Clothing Story

Every piece of clothing has a story.  Describe a piece of clothing or an accessory as if it belongs in the scene of a movie.  Might be a sweatshirt, a Red Sox hat, or a pair of your favorite sunglasses.  J Peterman's calatog does this regularly.  Here's an example:

    The French writer Colette (frizzy henna curls, bright rouge circles on her ancient cheeks) is being pushed in a wheelchair through the dining room of the Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Suddenly she sees this unknown wide-eyed beauty, raises a bony finger: "Voilà! That's my Gigi!"
    Within two years, Audrey wins a Tony for her role in Colette’s play, an Academy Award, makes the cover of Time magazine. Proving that, occasionally at least, there is justice in the world.
Along with the Vermeer face and dancer's legs, she had a knack for wearing exactly the right things, from big floppy hats to ballet flats, and turning them into classics.  Her signature shirt became the boatneck ballet tee.
    I think the first time we saw her in this one was in a fashionably smoky cellar full of cool cats during the 1950s; wasn't someone playing bongo drums?

    Boatneck Ballet Tee (No. 2354), with 3/4 sleeves and wide scoop neck to show off your fabulous collarbones.

Poised

By definition, to be poised is to be composed, dignified, and self-assured.  One might argue that to be poised is to be outspoken, while another believes silence is a sign of poise.  This week, choose one word about which you have your own ideas and write them.  We brainstormed possible words and came up with a list:  elegant, happy, weary, exhausted, sparse, menacing, tedious, fuzzy, ubiquitous, patient, and more.  Pick any word that inspires you. 

POISED (by today's writing club)

Poised is being beautiful without heels

loquacious when prudent

gentle but stern

saying thank you even it is is only a door.

Poised is when you're smart but don't show off

calm but assertive

(more to come...)

Steal a Line

We are beginning to assemble some of the work we have done.  I am asking students to "publish" three of their finalized pieces by posting them to their folder on the website and by giving them to me in print.  With the "published" pieces, you have the option of creating an accompanying visual.  This image may be hand drawn, may be a photograph, or may be an image from the computer.  You may even choose to find a friend who can create an illustration to go with your piece.

This week's prompt allows you to steal a line from someone else.  Begin with a line from a song lyric, poem, or book.  Go from there.  Create your own poem or story as an extension of that line, and every time you get stuck, repeat your opening line.  You may just end up in a much different place than the original author did.

Color

We spent time in the computer lab this week, getting signed in to the Ink website.  All will need a Google account in order to be invited into the site.  Please see Mrs. Scott in Room 216 if you do not have access.

Our prompt for the week is COLOR.  Choose any color and write.  Look around everywhere for inspiration, using imagery and figurative language to help describe.  We created a group write today using the color blue (see Mrs. Scott is yours isn't here...I thought I had all of them).  Here goes BLUE:

Blue is the water that runs through the sky. It is the foundation of all life. The breath of the leaves, and the life of the forest.

Blue is cold.  It is water – gushing, pouring, swishing.  Blue is the sky, an endless array of nothingness.

Blue is solemn, serious, and sad.  It is design, everlasting, enduring.  Blue is a conscience, an object, an animate thing.  It is a symbol.  A piece of an unfinished puzzle.

Blue is a color, a part of the rainbow.

Blue is the color of the ocean that washes up on the shore and splashes me.

Blue is the color of the sky, bright and wide. 

Blue is the color that makes the trio of primary colors complete.  Blue is a deep irresistible color.  Blue is, in fact, one of my favorite colors, it is a must-have color in our world.  Blue shows the sky, the ocean, and everything contained with water.  Blue is like a traveler, the way it seeps into clouds when evaporated by the sun, and how it seeps into your skin too, giving you life.

Blue is an ocean without an end.  Expanding over the horizon so far that when you are in the middle, you are alone.  Blue is lonely like tears or rain that patter silently onto the ground to be heard.

Blue is rivers that swiftly flow into the lakes and oceans.

Blue is the color that slides gently down my face.

Blue is the color of my ocean, all the animals that live and thrive there.  The magnificent blue whale, blue jellyfish, sharks, dolphins, and many more.

Blue is the color of my eyes, fierce and full of light.

Blue is my symbol of freedom, when I see blue I know everything will be okay. 

Blue is fire, near the hard barren coals, trying to escape the breath, the breath of something that kills.

Blue is the color of your face, when you try to become not breath.

Blue is the color of the first jeans, always been respected, then been back-stabbed by the black, pink, orange and every other color imaginable, clinging to your legs making you sit uncomfortable while the blue jeans cling to your waist and let your legs roam free.

Blue is the color of the American flag, holding together the starts symbolizing freedom of the auspicious day where all the states single-handedly become one.

Blue is the color of eyes, watching and wary.

Blue………. Blue is the water crashing into the sandy shore, demolishing hopeless homes, leaving families in the pool of destruction. The color of sadness, tears fall slowly as blue brings you down as well. Slow jazz “the blues” set this mood. The incredulous evil color can slowly ambush your life.

Blue is the flowing river, twisting and turning

Blue is the magnificent sky, at a constant pace

Blue is dark, serious and timid

Blue is the deep sea, dark and dangerous.

Blue is the sky, vast and never ending, lit by the sun and moon.

Blue, the Blue Knights, marching onto the field, ready to defend their title.

Blue, the color of the clock, ticking away the invisible things we call seconds.

Blue, the color of water that brings life to Earth.

Blue is wide as the sky, deep as the sea.

It is as pure as the air you breathe and the water you drink.

What is blue?  Blue is pure, blue is clean.

Wild and passionate, pure and calm.

Blue is whatever it chooses to be.

Blue is despair, blue is bliss.

Blue is everything, and yet it is nothing.

Blue.  The color that can also be a mood.  How do you know if you are blue?  What is blue? Bold yet dull, bright yet subtle.  Will we ever know?

Blue is the ocean flowing throughout the Earth.  Crashing against the shore, sending water splashing as if it were exploding.

Blue is a tidal wave, crashing down on precious memories.

Blue is calming and as I watch it roll and crash on the perfectly soft sand, it sends me into a sea of tranquility.