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Tag Archives: Poetry

Write a Sonnet (Creative Writing Exercise)

Friday, March 26, 2010

This week you’re going to write a sonnet. Some of you just rolled your eyes, because sonnets are child’s play. Some of you just gripped at a failing heart, because sonnets are Shakespeare-level expert stuff. If you’re in either category, you missed the point of yesterday’s post. That’s okay. I’ll say another word or two about it next Tuesday, but for now I want you to humor me.

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Loving Language (The Purpose of Poetry)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

When I was in third grade (or maybe it was second), I wrote a poem about sunset, and rest. I did it in number 2 pencil on a sheet of wide-ruled paper torn out of a 78-cent spiral notebook. I illustrated the edges, with an angry sun and an optimistic moon, and my best effort at a seagull. I can remember this in such clear detail, because I’ve still got that page. It’s creased with folds, and the pencil’s faded, but I’ve still got it, tucked away somewhere. The meter is awful.

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Strip Poem (Technical Writing Exercise)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Later this week, I’m going to spend a lot of time talking to the creative writers about poetry, and on Friday they’ll get to write sonnets. I wouldn’t expect sonnets out of my technical writers, but I still recommend that you take the time to read Thursday’s article, when it comes around. Poetry is language distilled, and technical writing is all about efficiency, brevity, and impact. The approaches are different, but the destination is the same.

So this week I want you to be poetic, too.

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Introductions Are in Order

Friday, January 15, 2010

Or perhaps I should call it a Character Description. Whatever the case, I’m proud to announce UnstressedSyllables.com’s newest contributing author, Courtney Cantrell. Courtney is the co-creator of our Facebook writer’s group, Mightier than the Sword, and one of my dear friends. Though we’d run in overlapping social circles for years, I met her through her [...]

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Stressed and Unstressed Syllables

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

There are basically two standard ways of indicating stressed syllables: by adding a vertical stress mark after each stressed syllable, or by making each stressed syllable bold or UPPERCASE (or BOTH). You can see an example of the stress marks at Dictionary.net, and you can see an example of the bold syllable at Dictionary.com.

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