#napowrimo 22

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Masterpost!

Confession time! I’m an amateur poet with no lit degree, so these are the tools that I personally find helpful. I’ve also tossed in lots of examples—and some tips on how to use these tools to edit poems (and fix poems that aren’t working).

Have fun writing happy trees!

(pix is from wiki commons)

Day 1 Consonance

Day 2 Repetition

Day 3 Cacophony and Dissonance

Day 4 Euphony

Day 5 Onomatopoeia

Day 6 Caesura and Ma

Day 7 Enjambment and Full-Stop

Day 8 White Space

Day 9 Waka

Day 10 Volta

Day 11 Kireji

 Day 12 Juxtaposition and Nibutsu Shoogeki

Day 13 Connotations, Kokoro, Kigo

Day 14 Imagery

Day 15 Vestibular Imagery

Day 16 Proprioception and Interoceptive Imagery

Day 17 Synesthesia

Day 18  Zoom

Day 19 Mono No Aware

Day 20 Sabi, Wabi, Shibui, and Shashei

Day 21 Internal Rhyme

Day 22 Motif

Day 23 Theme

Day 24 Word Order

Day 25 Adjective Order

Day 26 Adding Variety

Day 27 Aphorism

Day 28 Imagism

Day 29 Something + Something Else

Day 30 What If

Also adding a link to a thing I wrote: How to Edit Poetry Like a Boss

And adding a link to:

Handbook of Poetic Forms (fixed link!)

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 30 - What If?

I want to end this workshop by talking about my favorite piece of writing advice—and it doesn’t come from a poet! Stephen King has often said that asking “what if?” is a writer’s most powerful tool.

Let’s build a poem by using ‘what if’:

One of the Escapril prompts is ‘blink and you’ll miss it’. When I read this prompt, I immediately thought about three things: eyes blinking, time, and missed opportunities. Now let’s use “what if” to write a fresh take on this prompt:

-What if I wrote a poem about a different sort of eyes, or a different kind of blinking? -What if I wrote a poem that wasn’t about time? -What if I wrote a poem about seizing an opportunity, not missing it?

Blink and You’ll Miss It

My blinking turn signal and GPS know where to go, but me, I’m still driving, because I don’t want to turn off, not when the open road is such a wonderful adventure.

@goneahead

OK, that’s a good start. But the first line isn’t grabbing me, the middle isn’t landing quite right, and “open road” and “adventure” are pretty meh—so let’s do some editing!

-What if I rewrote the first lines to show the repetition (day 1) of the turn signal?

Blink. Blink again. My turn signal and my GPS know where to go

-What if I added a little more ‘ma’ to the middle? (day 6)

but I don’t want to turn off. Not yet, not when

-What if I made the open road anthropomorphic and threw in some imagery? (day 14, 15, 16)

the open road still has me in her sun-warm embrace, her tar-black hair winding around my heart

-What if I added Something Else to shore up the ending? Maybe a comparison, one that builds on the poem and the prompt? (day 29)

her laughter opening the very eyes of my soul

Now I’ve shored up the poem and fixed that sagging middle. So—what if I rewrote the poem to add some white space? (day 8)

Blink and You’ll Miss It

Blink. Blink again. My turn signal and my GPS know where to go, but I don’t want to turn off. Not yet, not when the open road still has me in her sun-warm embrace, her tar- black hair winding around my heart, her laughter opening the very eyes of my soul.

@goneahead

So, what do you think? Do you think Stephen King is right? Is this poem stronger because I kept asking ‘what if’?

I hope this workshop was helpful - and have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 29  Betty Drevniok: Something + Something Else

I want to end this workshop by talking about two pieces of writing advice that I personally find very useful when writing poetry. Today’s advice is from Betty Drevnoik, who wrote one most influential books on English poetry ever: Aware: A Haiku Primer.

( which you can read for free here:

https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/files/original/0df09bda685fae183d4413808f89a94d.pdf )

While there is a lot of great stuff in this book, the biggest take away is an English haiku is Something + Something Else. What Drevnoik means is there are two sections:

-The first section (typically the first two lines) creates an image

-The second section:

1) says something related to the first section or 2)says something that contrasts to the first section or 3)introduces an association or a connotation/kokoro/kigo (day 13) or 4)introduces a leap (an unrelated idea)

Although Betty Drevnoik was talking about haiku, this is also a fantastic way to build a strong modern poem. Since this can be a little confusing, I’m going to let Jane Reichhold explain things:

“The Technique of Comparison: …the idea of comparison is showing how two different things are similar or share similar aspects.

a spring nap downstream cherry trees in buds

What is expressed, but not said, is the thought that buds on a tree can be compared to flowers taking a nap.

…The Technique of Contrast: …Now the job feels easier. All one has to do is to contrast images.

long hard rain hanging in the willows tender new leaves

The delight from this technique is the excitement that opposites creates. You have instant built-in interest.

…The Technique of Association: This can be thought of as "how different things relate or come together". The Zen of this technique is called "oneness" or showing how everything is part of everything else. You do not have to be a Buddhist to see this; simply being aware of what is, is illumination enough.

ancestors the wild plum blooms again

If this is too hard to see because you do not equate your ancestors with plum trees, perhaps it is easier to understand with:

moving into the sun the pony takes with him some mountain shadow

…The Technique of Leap Linkage:

wildflowers the early spring sunshine in my hand”

(Jane Reichhold actually talks about a lot of different ways to build a haiku with Something + Something Else, but I just referenced the big four. You can read her entire essay here: www.ahapoetry.com/haiartjr.htm )

I’m going to add one more example where the poet leaps from Something (idea 1) to Something Else (idea 2):

sunny afternoon a shadow on the mammogram

~~Suraja Roychowdhury

This haiku shows why Something+Something Else is such a great poetry tool. Suraja’s Something Else (a shadow on the mammogram) forces the reader to completely rethink the first idea (sunny afternoon).

Here’s an example of how this tool works in a modern poem:

Don’t betray me so! You green my hills one day then next… blanket with snow. @salovie

Let’s break this poem down: Don’t betray me so!/You green my hills one day (Something - idea 1) then (transitional phrase - see day 10) next… blanket with snow. (Something Else - idea 2. Also great use of punctuation and ma to add emphasis - see day 6 )

Tip! You can also use modify this tool to build more complicated or longer poems: Something+Something Related+Something Else:

It's April And I miss June, And the rain, And you. @delilamusings

Let’s break this poem down: It's April/And I miss June (Something - idea 1) , (punctuation as keriji - see day 11) And the rain (Something Related, idea 2 - related to idea 1) , (punctuation as keriji - see day 11) And you. (Something Else - idea 3 and a volta - see day 10)

Did you catch that the second example is very close to the format of a waka? (day 9)

Whew! That was a super long post! Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 28 - Ezra Pound and Imagism

We spent three days talking about imagery (day 14, day 15, and day 16) and we’ve also touched on using shashei/plain language (day 20) Today we’re going to tackle imagism—which relies heavily on all of these tools.

Every generation of poets has their ‘thing’. Sonnets, beat poetry, micro poems—the list is endless! In the early twentieth century, writing irregular/non-rhyming poems in simple language became the cool new trend. A few poets wrote how-to-guides on writing these poems, but Ezra Pound’s guide was the most popular.

Pound coined the term imagism and also came up with the three ‘rules’:

-simplicity - using shashei/plain language -clarity of words - strip out all unnecessary words -precision of imagery - being very exact when using imagery

Basically, this is a poem that has been stripped down to the essentials. Let’s look at some examples:

The Red Wheelbarrow

so much depends upon

a red wheel barrow

glazed with rain water

beside the white chickens

~~William Carlos Williams

Crisp the morning air, sharp the blue of the clear sky this may be the day azaleas begin to bloom and butterflies open wings. @dbaydenny

a super pink moon rises   with an inhale of sweet jasmine   and piano notes floating in the breeze @aubriestar

Why does a poet need to know how to write imagism? First, because it’s one of the two major influences on modern poetry. (see day 19 and day 20 for the other major influence). The second reason is because writing poems that rely heavily on shashei and clear images is a great exercise; one that requires a poet to write effectively and concisely.

Tip! There’s an old writing trick to create tighter stories—try to only keep about 80 percent of the first draft. This also works when creating imagism poems, because it forces a poet to pare down the lines to only what is necessary.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 27 - Aphorism

Today we’re going to talk about another tool that can help us become better poets—aphorism. This is when we write a poem that’s a pithy statement about a truth.

It’s basically a maxim or an adage, but said in a poetic way. Let’s look at some examples:

The truth whispered outside the back door shuffling limited facts @chucklingpecan

hate is a seed planted in the fertile minds of children where nothing else is allowed to grow… @the-silent-troubadour

Why does a poet need to know how to write an aphorism? Because it’s a good way to learn to write short poems, where all the motifs and imagery directly support the theme (day 23). That also means aphorisms contain all the building blocks needed for Imagism poems.

What is an Imagism poem? I’ll explain tomorrow!

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 26 —Adding Variety!

Poetry workshops tend to talk a lot about syllables, and stressed and unstressed meter.  Personally, I find that varying length of words and lines is often a much more useful tool in writing modern poetry.

Let’s start with a quote:

“This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety.

Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.” ~~Gary Provost, 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing

Changing the length of words and sentences creates stronger, more interesting poetry. Let’s look at two examples where the poet deliberately altered the length of their lines:

Your Moon

if I had never loved you, would I have ever known the difference between light and darkness…. in the holding I am whole, and your moon always calls to my ocean. @black-dog-in-the-woods

Did you catch that the poet used an ellipsis for one of the keriji (day 11?) and this poem is really a variation on a waka (day 9)?

if I had never loved you, would I have ever known, the difference between light and darkness (idea 1) … (kireji) in the holding, I am whole (idea 2) , (kereji) and your moon always calls to my ocean. (related to idea 1) @black-dog-in-the-woods

Silent morning– The earth has just been shaken To her core. The birds sing joyfully as ever Above. Quiet day, The only hope lying In the dark. The flowers that surround Soak in the fresh warmth Of the sun. Still night– Sorrow implanted In their abandoned hearts. He begins his ascent Towards dawn. @moment-of-november

Way back on day 3, we talked about dissonance (deliberately changing the meter/length of a line) and on day 9, we talked about how Asian poetry traditionally is several smaller poems/ideas linked togeher. Did you catch how the poet used dissonance between each idea as an extra emphasis?

Silent morning– (dissonance) /The earth has just been shaken To her core. The birds sing joyfully as ever Above./ Quiet day, (dissonance) /The only hope lying In the dark. The flowers that surround Soak in the fresh warmth Of the sun./ Still night– (dissonance) /Sorrow implanted In their abandoned hearts. He begins his ascent/ Towards dawn. (dissonance) @moment-of-november

Tip! There are also times when this tool isn’t useful: When the poem is about something that is boring or repetitious. For example, a poem about a teacher droning on and on. When the poem contains action,or a sense of movement. Short, abrupt lines tend to convey action/motion better than longer lines.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 24  - All Mixed Up!

Let’s talk about some of the most fun poetry tools to use—the ones where we get to mix up word order!

Hyperbatan (sometimes called inversion) is a big word that just means mixing up the usual order of words or clauses:

anyone lived in a pretty how town (with up so floating many bells down) spring summer autumn winter he sang his didn’t he danced his did. ~~e.e. cummings

Anastrophe is often confused with hyperbatan. It’s when just one word gets flipped:

“Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall …” ~~William Shakespeare

Periodic structure is when the main subject of a sentence gets moved to the end:

In spite of heavy snow and cold temperatures, the game continued.

With low taxes, beautiful views and a mild climate, this city is a great place to live.

Here’s two examples of mixing up the words in a poem:

my city wore white when it snowed yesterday but in the morning light she was a beautiful orphan bride so I walked her streets and carried her coldness in my feet to leave on each footprint my happiest memories for she to embrace togetherness and for I to taste loneliness @unmondefou

my flowers have taught me that growth is a process both long and lovely @drunk-on-writing

When is mixing up word order a good tool? -When a poet wants to put an emphasis on certain words. In the first example, the ending is stronger, because the words of the two lines has been re-ordered to be parallel, but opposing ideas. -To say something in a fresh or unexpected manner. ee cummings was a master of this! -To change where the stressed syllables fall in a line or stanza. William Shakespeare did this all the time. -To create better consonance, or alliteration. In the second example, the ending is strengthened by ending on long and lovely.

Tip! I’ve actually included this tip before—but I think it’s important enough to repeat it again. If you find a poem you love, read it aloud. Also, take the time to read aloud the works of the poets you like. This will train your ear for the poetry style that works for you. Over time, you will begin to just ‘know’ when a word or phrase needs to be flipped or changed around.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 23 - Theme!

Motif and theme are very similar, so let’s talk about the differences! Motif (day 22) is the repetition of closely related ideas, imagery (days 14, 15, 16) and connotations (day 13) in a poem.

Theme is when a poem has a core message. Any poetry tool can be used to build and emphasize a theme, but poets tend to use motifs (day 22), connotations (day 13), and the volta (day 10).

In this poem, the theme is lack of trust, and the motifs are ideas and words related to locks:

In the greater beyond I once left behind the keys Unlocking my heart As there was no trusting Myself, any longer This would be the last time I would Change the locks I sit patiently awaiting to hear The knocking; if only these walls could talk @thedge-of-forever

Let's look at the tools the poet used in their last four lines: This would be the last time I would Change the locks (transitional phrase, connotation: change the locks) I sit patiently awaiting to hear The knocking; if only these walls could talk (juxtaposition: walls are the opposite of doors/locks/knocking, and a volta, both emphasize the theme)

Here’s how a theme (and connotations and a volta!) works in a short poem:

Love's an icy road before the salt truck goes out that you have to take. @dbaydenny

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 22 - Motifs!

Motif is the repetition of closely related ideas, imagery (days 14, 15, 16) and connotations (day 13) in a poem.

In our example, the poet used the motif of rivers and deltas:

the rain carries everything south, today the better parts of me are buried both feet two feet deep in the mouth of the mississippi, the sun on my shoulders and the filth of a nation being washed out to sea, the sands strain me out, weigh me down, always being dried out, wet again, spent a whole month some level of drunk, the little sharks and the brackish cats and the shrimp, my arms ache for the shape of the net in cast, strangers bound by our mutual connections to nothing, tethers made to sever, a time where gravity fails to apply @purgatorypoetry

Let’s take a look at all the tools the poet used in the last three lines : -my arms ache for the shape of the net in cast, (transitional phrase - day 10, connotations - day 13) -strangers bound by our mutual connections to nothing, tethers made to sever, (connotations - day 13) -a time where gravity fails to apply (volta - day 10)

When is motif a good tool to use ? Pretty much always! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having different motifs in a poem, but sticking to just one motif ensures all the parts of the poem will work together. It can also make it slightly easier to add a cool, shiny volta (or two!), since you are only dealing with one group of ideas!

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 21 - Internal Rhyme

When we talk about rhyme, most people immediately think about line-breaks (day 7) that rhyme. But poems can also contain internal rhyme.

First, let’s talk about the different types of rhyme.

Perfect rhyme is when syllable count, the stressed syllable, and letter sounds match:

cavern, tavern (two syllables, first syllable is stressed)

Slant rhyme is when letter sounds match:

cavern, my turn

Here is an example of both perfect and slant:

Being certain that they and I But lived where motley is worn: All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born. - Yeats

Finally, perfect rhyme breaks down into two types:

Masculine rhyme: boat, goat (final syllable is stressed) Feminine rhyme: amorous, glamourous (final syllable is not stressed)

Whew! That’s a lot of info! Let’s get to our example - here’s a recent poem I wrote with internal rhyme. Notice some of the rhymes are imperfect rhymes (the opposite of perfect rhyme):

Maybe. Maybe the world spins a little darker every night, maybe money, might, and dishonesty wins. But then, I notice how so many are willing to stop, help carry the load, lend a dollar, a laugh, a smile; leave a bigger tip, walk an extra mile, and I wonder, are we all staring so hard up at the black abyss, that we no longer can hear the susurrations of kindness softly pray love into light?

@goneahead

When is internal rhyme a good tool for the job? -When a poem needs to reassure, or introduce a comforting note to a poem. -When there is a need to add atmosphere. Example: gothic/dark/horror poems. -When there is a need to talk about repetitive things, such as a clock ticking, or the cycle of nature.

Tip! Internal rhyme can also be useful in tying the parts of a poem together. I intentionally reworked the last line to end on ‘light’. Light rhymes with the earlier ‘night’ and “might’.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 19 - Mono no aware!

Tumblr is full of aesthetics blogs: dark academia, midwest gothic, cottagecore, etc. Japanese poets attempted to nail down the aesthetics of Asian poetry, and came up with their own “tag”: mono no aware.

This is one of those words that’s hard to translate but basically means:

-life is beautiful, sad, and fleeting

-nature is a constant reminder of these three things

-relationships are also a reminder of these three things

Mono no aware is a poetry aesthetic where a wilting flower is more exquisite than a fresh flower, an aging model is prettier than a model in their prime, and a waning autumn moon is more beautiful than a full spring moon.

Here are two examples:

Summer grasses — the only remains

of warriors’ dreams.

~~Basho

It’s April

And I miss June ,

And the rain,

And you.

@delilamusings

When is mono no aware a good tool?

Well, so many great poets and writers have been influenced by Asian poetry, that this tool is almost a requirement when writing nature poems and sad love poems. It’s also a good tool to reach for when you want to write about impermanence, and the seasons of life.

Tip! I want to touch just briefly on a Japanese poetry ‘rule’ that metaphors should not be explained. Both of these poems are stronger because neither poet adds an explanation. We don’t know if Basho is talking about a warrior’s grave or a battlefield or just musing about life - and that mystery makes the poem more poignant. We don’t know who delilamusing is talking about, or what happened - which again, makes the poem sadder and more memorable. If a section of a poem isn’t working, try paring away any explanations - often that will fix things!

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 18 - Zoom!

Zoom is when you use words like a camera, zooming in or out of a poem. I’m going to cheat and reference a poet who explains this tool much better than I can:

“This method is commonly used in Haiku as it allows for much to be expressed in a few words.

While using this technique, the poet can either choose to go from big to small, or from small to big. This means, as a poet, you can take your reader from a general idea to a more detailed description. Or alternatively, from seeing specific details to understanding the bigger picture. We can understand zooming in and out with the help of some examples.

Yellow flame flickers Shadows dance upon the wall Love grows ever strong. ~Paul Holmes

This first example illustrates the zoom out method. First we see the yellow flame. Subsequently, we take cognisance of the shadows that it creates on the wall nearby.

Contrasting this widening of our perspective is the following poem. This helps us focus our attention.

springtime shower starts kids are jumping in puddles formed in their backyard ~Bipasha Roy

In this Haiku, we first witness the spring rain. Then we are told about the children playing. Finally, we find ourselves in their backyard. The verse opens with a general observation and becomes more intimate and detailed as it progresses.”

source: www.dsarttakes.com/ds-poetry-haiku-32-zooming-method/

let’s end with one more example:

As the dawn breaks over the horizon we run towards our home, exhilarated and out of breath, with the night still singing in our throats. You tug at my sleeve and sit on a broken tree stump trying to catch your breath and I tease you by asking if all the tiredness of chasing the seagull who stole your ice cream is finally hitting you. You flick my nose, your body filling with laughter till mine joins in and we laugh and laugh as the sun paints us in orange pastels and we laugh and laugh like the Universe is just a big old joke and we laugh and laugh till I can hear nothing but your cackles mixed with mine, the both of us sounding like a guitar offkey, and I think to myself: "maybe this is what the Universe sounds like when I'm happy."

@whisperinglillies

In this example, the poet starts at the sky, zooms down to two people running, then zooms down again, to an intimate moment betwen two lovers. This is also a great example of how a poet can use repetition (day 2) and pauses (day 6) and interoceptive imagery (day 16) to strengthen a poem!

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 17 - Synesthesia!

Let’s start with our example:

to know a prairie is to know the thousand scents of sage, soft silver ghost in winter, charred smoke haunting hands and clothes in summer, the strange swarm of sweet and bee that announces coming rain. @goneahead

Synesthesia (also called sense-switching) is when you pair a word with the wrong sense:

loud red (red is a color so it can’t be heard) warm silence (silence is lack of sound, so it can’t be felt)

Let’s go back to our example:

to know a prairie is to know the thousand scents of sage, soft silver ghost in (soft - touch, silver - sight) winter, charred smoke haunting hands and clothes in summer, the strange swarm of (swarm - hearing) sweet and bee that announces coming rain. (sweet - taste)

Tip! If a line doesn’t seem to be landing quite right, pull out this tool and try changing the imagery through sense-switching. For example, if you are writing about a taste, you could rework the line using ‘seeing’ words or “proprioception” (day 16) words. Or if you are writing about touching, you could rework the line using ‘hearing’ words or “vestibular” (day 15) words.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 16: Aches and Pains!

OK, lets do some more painting with our imagery tools!  We’ve got two more senses to cover: Proprioception and Interoceptive.

Proprioception: an awareness of your joints and muscles

Interoceptive: an awareness of your organs

Once again, there a lot of common phrases that use imagery for these two senses:

Proprioception:

my shoulders ached in sympathy that’s back-breaking work

Interoceptive:

the mother’s story is heart-breaking he was gut-punched by the news

In this example, this poet uses both the taste imagery and interoceptive imagery:

long kiss like nectar, / leaves one ruby-throated, wings / a blur, heart afloat

@memoryslandscape

And this poet used interoceptive imagery and the tip from yesterday to show the soul deep hurt of being left:

My soul felt bruised enough that I thought it might leave me too. @origami-houses

Tip! Building imagery around just one thing can make a short poem much stronger - as both examples show!

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 15: Balancing act!

OK, I fibbed. Humans actually have eight senses! Today we’re going to continue to talk about imagery. Imagery can also be based on your sixth sense, which has a big scientific name: vestibular.

This is your sense of balance - and your sense of where your body is, compared to other things. When you pick up your fork without looking down, you’re using your vestibular sense.

A lot of common phrases rely on this kind of imagery:

one glance shook my entire world

your laugh caught me off-balance

I felt as if everything shifted in that moment

Here’s an example of vestibular imagery from the poem Heavy:

Then said my friend Daniel (brave even among lions), “It is not the weight you carry

but how you carry it— books, bricks, grief—

it’s all in the way you embrace it, balance it, carry it

when you cannot, and would not, put it down.”

~Mary Oliver

Tip! Using vestibular imagery is a great way to convey emotions. Oliver deliberately mixes heavy objects (books, bricks) with grief so we can feel the heavy weight of her emotions.

Have fun writing happy trees!

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The (very) Unofficial Bob Ross’ Happy Trees Poetry Tools Workshop Day 14: Imagery - The Five Senses!

Imagery is another great painting tool. This is when a poet uses one or more of the five senses in a poem: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste

Sight - which is better?

a. I saw a robin\in a tree with no leaves b. a flip of blue wing, hop of red breast\on a winter bare branch

a. a quiet lake lay\among the pines b. a rippling blue lake\guarded by dark green pines

Hearing - which is better?

a. My horse stood impatiently/while I knocked on your door b. My horse stamped and snorted/as my knuckles rapped against the silence

a. the screen door shut behind her/as she hurried into the room b. the screen door banged shut/her hurrying feet slapping the old boards

I could keep going with taste, smell, and touch—but I think you get the idea!

Our example today is the famous poem, In A Station of the Metro:

The apparition of these faces in the crowd; petals on a wet, black bough. ~~Ezra Pound

Tip! This is a good example of how a master poet uses unexpected imagery to level up their poetry game. Pound starts out using imagery in an expected way (vision). but then switches unexpectedly to touch (wet).

Have fun writing happy trees!