As the wind tosses fresh leaves across lawns and driveways, I paused reflecting on Emily Bronte's words from her poem, Fall, Leaves, Fall: "Every leaf speaks bliss to me / Fluttering from the autumn tree". Then, I discovered Emily Dickinson's envelope poems.
🍁🍂🍃
🍁🍂🍃
How to Write Your Own Envelope Poem (that begins and ends with the same line)
See Writing Workshop at Teaching Authors for more information
from April Hayland Wayland.
1. Brainstorm what you'd like to write about.
2. Now start writing-mediocre ideas or good ideas, it doesn't matter-just keep your pen moving.
3. Play with lines until you find one that is strong enough to begin and end your poem.
4. Polish your poem. Read it aloud .
5) Let it rest for a few days. Read it again. Polish it some more.
6) Do you love it? Then, let your poem out of its envelope! Share it with a friend.
🍁🍂🍃
Quick Write - Haiku
🍁🍂🍃
Thank you, Patricia Franz, for hosting Poetry Friday this week. Besides being a wonderful author and poet she is inviting writers to join her with their own place-based, outdoor-themed poem.
Continue to have a wonderful autumn. The trees are finally parading their finery. Don't forget to check out the poetic goodness from the Poetry Friday writers at Patricia's blog, Reverie.
Swooshy swishy leaves! Thank you, Carol. Love the sound of that line. I have mixed feelings about the "envelope" form, which I have always called "bookend" poems. I don't want to end up in the same place as where I started in a poem, so that means the middle really has to provide movement.... a challenge!! xo
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to try the envelope form, Carol. Thanks for sharing it. I love bopping from blog to blog to hear so many trees speaking to us of the joy of letting go. A good reminder! And their parade of finery! Perfect image!
ReplyDeleteInteresting form! Plus, I love your illustration - the idea of actually putting a poem on an envelope and sending it makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the autumn loveliness. Your envelope poem and haiku are wonderful ways to celebrate the season. xo
ReplyDeleteAutumn invites poetry doesn't it? It's such an exuberant time of year with so much happening, but there also can be such a strong sense of melancholy.
ReplyDeleteI've had a lot of "smooshy swishy" leaves flying around, Carol. One day the wind blew hard all morning, topping off the leaves already in my yard. I love your poem and Emily's idea of an envelope poem, will see what "blows in"! Thanks for all. Your post's "look" is lovely!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol! An autumn beauty of a poem!
ReplyDelete