National Poetry Month: Writing in Rhyme, a guest post by Elliah Terry

Today's National Poetry Month post features guest blogger Elliah Terry, a talented author and poet, who joins us today with a little advice for those wanting to write in rhyme.

WRITING IN RHYME: AN ITSY BITSY CRASH COURSE

Many children’s writers wish to write in rhyme. Some writers even mistakenly believe in order for a piece to be for children—it has to rhyme. I’m here to tell you, no. No, it doesn’t. And bad rhyme is much worse than bad prose, in my opinion. So, if you are going to attempt to write a poem or a picture book for children in rhyme (and why not? it’s super fun!) it is a good idea to learn the basics of rhyming. Learning to write in rhyme is like learning a new language. In other words, you aren’t going to learn it all overnight. And you’ll get better as you practice. But here is the quickest course you’ve ever seen on how to do it.

SET-UP: instead of sentences and paragraphs, rhyming poetry is set up using lines and stanzas. Lines are usually short phrases. A stanza is a group of lines in a poem. There is usually an empty line between stanzas.

RHYME SCHEME: is the pattern of rhyming lines. Two of the most common schemes found in children’s literature are

Couplets: There are two lines in a couplet. The 1st and 2nd lines rhyme (wall, fall).

 

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

 

Quatrains: There are four lines in a quatrain. The 2nd and 4th lines rhyme (lean, clean.)

 

            Jack Sprat could eat no fat,

            his wife could eat no lean.

            And so between them both, you see,

            They licked the platter clean.

 

Note: Once you choose a pattern for your poem/story—stick with it throughout the entire piece.

 

METER: is the rhythmic structure of a line. You can’t just string a bunch of words together, make the ends rhyme, and call it poetry. The words must flow naturally off the reader’s tongue. And that’s where meter comes in. For example:

 

            HUMP ty DUMP ty sat on a WALL         *the stressed syllables are in caps

            HUMP ty DUMP ty had a great FALL     *the meter matches

 

So there you have it. The basics of writing in rhyme. Now get to it! (And practice, practice, and practice.)

***

About the author: Elliah is a wife, mother, writer, and most importantly, a professional bubble bath taker. She writes poetry, picture books, and middle grade novels and occasionally takes out the trash. Find out more at her blog, The Itsy Bitsy Writer, or follow her on twitter @ElliahTerry. 

National Poetry Month: Review of WINTER BEES

Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman is my new favorite poetry collection. Written by the author of Song of the Water Boatman, Winter Bees is a book of gorgeous wintery poems complemented by equally gorgeous illustrations by Rick Allen.

I mean, just look at that cover! Does this book not beg to be read?

My favorite poem from this book is "Big Brown Moose." Here is the first stanza, to give you a little taste:

I'm a big brown moose,
I'm a rascally moose,
I'm a moose with a tough, shaggy hide;
and I kick and I prance
in a long-legged dance
with my moose-mama close by my side.

Wonderful, no? Don't you want to read that aloud to someone right now, while kicking and prancing a bit yourself?

As if the poetry and art weren't enough to make this book a delight to any nature loving poetry-enthusiast (or is it poetry-loving nature enthusiast?), each poem is accompanied by a short informational piece about the plant or animal celebrated on that spread.

This book is a must-have for any poetry library!

National Poetry Month: Guest Poet Julia Gomez

My daughter Julia joins us on the blog today, sharing a poem that was published in her university's literary journal.

Enjoy!


The Death of a Muse

My child-self, long ago, would 
Cup her hands together,
Creating darkness between her palms
To better watch the firefly's glow.

My child-self, a memory now, would
Cover her eyes with her hands,
Peering through fleshy shutters,
When what she saw was
Too much too feel.

Now, my heart sees too much,
Fears too much the world's unblinking gaze.
As it fills with unexpressed emotion,
I move my hands from my eyes,
And, blinking at the blinding light,
Place my palms over my chest,
As if to keep my soul
From bursting.

Where once I could feel, think, live
Without restraint,
My pulse now quivers
As I cage my life 
Behind my hands,
Letting no one see more
Than shadows
And mere blinks of light.

Suffocated by my tightening grip,
My heartbeat ceases
And all I hold is the darkness

I have created between my palms.

(c) Julia Gomez

Julia is a singer, poet, and a college student studying Vocal Performance. When she isn’t singing in operas or choral ensembles, Julia takes walks on the arboraceous campus and writes poetry in her head. Some of them make it onto the page.

National Poetry Month: Interview with Tamera Will Wissinger, author of GONE FISHING

Today I am excited to be interviewing Tamera Will Wissinger, author of Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse! I loved Gone Fishing, especially because it makes one of my favorite genres, the verse novel, really accessible for younger readers.

Tamera Will Wissinger is a children's author and poet who grew up in Badger, Iowa. She has been reading and writing stories and poetry since she was young. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Sioux Falls College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and her Master of Fine Arts degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Tamera thinks she’s very lucky to be able to read and write as part of her job. When she’s not working she might be fishing or boating, watching the interesting wildlife around her neighborhood, or noticing how each day is so beautiful and unique. She also likes to spend time with her family and friends, golf, watch good movies, listen to music, and crochet, (her mom recently taught her how!) Tamera lives with her husband in Vero Beach, Florida. She is the author of Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children) and This Old Band (Sky Pony Press).

And now, on to the questions!

Rebecca: What inspired you to write Gone Fishing?

Tamera: When I was young, my family went fishing together. I remember loving the whole experience, from catching night crawlers in the dark the night before, to being on the boat in the water. It didn't matter to me if we caught fish or not, I just loved being with my family outside in that environment.

Rebecca: Oh, I loved going nightcrawler hunting with my family as a kid. I even have my own poem about doing just that!

One of my favorite things about your book is the various forms of poetry used to tell the story. Why did you write it that way?

Tamera: Thank you! I love rhyme and rhythm and poetry forms, and Gone Fishing emerged that way - as a single poem. As I wrote more poems I started to play with varying the forms and received feedback on where it was working and what could be tweaked.

Rebecca: What was the most challenging part of writing Gone Fishing?

Tamera: The combination of sustaining the story arc while maintaining the quality and variety of poems.

Rebecca: What was Gone Fishing's journey to publication like?

Tamera: From start to finish it took about six years. As I mentioned, the story began as a single
poem, Night Crawlers, and I added more fishing poems from there. While I was studying writing for
children at Hamline University, Nikki Grimes visited and spoke about writing stories in poetry. After that I understood the difference between a poetry collection and a story in poems, so I went back to work on my fishing poems to develop a stronger story. Once I had enough of a story, I began to submit Gone Fishing as a picture book story in poems. In 2011 my editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt accepted the story which, at the time, was 19 poems. She asked if it might be possible to increase the poetry count and hear more from little sister Lucy, so I went back to work and we more than doubled the poetry count and expanded the story. We also added The Poet's Tackle Box which gives information on the different poetry forms. Also in 2011 Matthew Cordell signed on to draw the illustrations and Gone Fishing arrived in March of 2013.

Rebecca: Do you have a favorite poem from the book?

Tamera: No. What I like best about the poems is that they work together to tell the story. I also like that they let children laugh, think, or react in some way.

Rebecca: Rhyming or non-rhyming? Do you have a preference?

Tamera: Oh, I do love reading and writing a well-constructed poem that has a solid rhythm and rhyme and reaches beyond light verse into true poetry, but the truth is, I'm glad we have both because they each play an important role in engaging young people in reading and writing.

Rebecca: What is your favorite verse novel? Your favorite poet?

Tamera: I have enjoyed reading many wonderfully written verse novels in a variety of genres and I admire the authors and their work a great deal, so it's impossible to choose a single favorite. I think it's one of the toughest formats to write well and is maybe misunderstood because, to some readers, it can look simple. It's a classic case of simple not being easy, so I salute anyone who is writing or attempting to write verse novels or stories in poetry.

Rebecca: Advice for aspiring poets and/or verse novelists?

Tamera: Read a great deal of the type of work you love to write and also read other formats and genres, both contemporary and from poets of the past. Write what you are inspired to write and find compassionate, knowledgable, trustworthy colleagues who will help you make your work stronger. If you want to write in rhyme, go ahead. Just make sure it's excellent before you begin to submit to editors. Bottom line: story is more important than perfectly-rhymed and rhythmic couplets.

Rebecca: What are you working on now? Any other verse novels in your future?

Tamera: I'm working on a couple new projects. Up next is a rhyming picture book called THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO GOBBLED A SKINK. It's my take on the folk song about the old lady who swallowed a fly and is scheduled to arrive from Sky Pony Press on 2/02/2016. And I recently learned that GONE FISHING will have a companion novel called GONE CAMPING: A Novel in Verse. Sam and Lucy are back for a family camping adventure in this story, and Lucy takes the spotlight when she struggles to overcome her fear of sleeping away from home in the tent. It's scheduled for a 2017 release from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers and will again be illustrated by Matthew Cordell.

Thank you for hosting me today, Becky! I enjoyed chatting with you.

Rebecca: You're welcome, Tamera! Congratulations on your upcoming books. I especially look forward to reading Gone Camping!

If you would like to know more about Tamera and her books, visit her website, tamerawillwissinger.com. You can also follow her on twitter.

If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of Gone Fishing, you can find it at the following online retailers (or ask for it at your library or local indie book store):

Barnes & Noble
Amazon
BAM
IndieBound

National Poetry Month: Guest Poet Samantha Gomez

My daughter Samantha has been writing poetry in her creative writing class, and she agreed to share one of her poems with us for National Poetry Month. Enjoy!

Used Book Store

The Grandfather of book stores

wears a tweed jacket

corduroy elbow patches

and a walrus mustache.

He invites you in

for a spot of tea--well

maybe just a cup of bad coffee.

You know it's bad,

but drink it anyway.

Part of the experience.

Meanwhile, Grandfather

lights his pipe,

leans back in his leather-bound armchair

and inadvertently

puffs smoke

onto the Classics section, which

really shouldn't be a good thing,

but somehow it is.

Now the books have character, life.

Now

flipping through the well-loved pages

of a used paperback in the Classics section

is like gathering snapshots

of someone else's essence.

Someone who, like you

wandered bleary-eyed one day

into this book store,

was offered a cup

of bad coffee

and

surrounded by accumulated bits

of an old grandfather's wisdom,

never wanted to leave.

(c) Samantha Gomez

Samantha Gomez is a high school senior who dreams of a life without biology homework. She aspires to one day direct a choir of whiny teenagers in the faraway land of Not-in-the-midwest. Writing poetry is a recently acquired hobby of hers--indeed, she wrote her first poem since 6th grade just last week.

National Poetry Month: Review of WON TON: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku

I read a sweet book

about a cat named Won Ton,

told in haiku form

I had heard of this book, but not read it until my daughter, who is a senior in high school, checked it out from her school library and brought it home for me to read.

She happened to be in the library as the librarian was arranging a display of books for poetry month, when he showed this book to her. She love it immediately. So much that she sent me this series of messages:

This is awesome
Very cute
Go buy it

I did not run out and buy it, but I did read it. And I agree with my daughter that there is something awesome about it, and that is its format. The entire story is told in haiku from the perspective of a cat. It's a fairly classic tale of an adopted pet adapting to a new home and family, but the individual poems that link together to tell the story make this book stand out.

What I like best is how well the poems capture the voice of the cat as he adjusts his new environment. The book feels like a cat could have written it.

So if you are looking for books to add to your poetry library or just a sweet read to share with a child (while introducing him or her to the haiku form), consider Won Ton: A Cat Tale Told in Haiku by Lee Wardlaw.

National Poetry Month: Interview with A.L. Sonnichsen, author of Red Butterfly

I was very excited when A.L. Sonnichsen, author of the middle grade verse novel Red Butterfly, agreed to do an interview for National Poetry Month. Verse novels are my favorite thing to read, and Poetry Month is a perfect time to shine a little extra light on them (and their authors).

Raised in Hong Kong, A.L. Sonnichsen grew up attending British school and riding double-decker buses. As an adult, she spent eight years in Mainland China where she learned that not all baozi are created equal. She also learned some Mandarin, which doesn't do her much good in the small Eastern Washington town where she now lives with her rather large family.

Now, on to the interview!

Rebecca: First of all, I just want to say congratulations on your debut novel! I loved every moment of reading it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys middle grade fiction or verse novels. I don't get teary when reading very often, but Red Butterfly really got me "in the feels," as the kids say, especially at the end.


Now, on to the questions!

What was your inspiration for Red Butterfly?   

A.L.: I was inspired by my own experience volunteering at an orphanage in China when we lived there, bringing my daughter home from that orphanage, and then going through many years of waiting before we could adopt her. But there were also concurrent, as well as more recent, stories from friends’ lives that inspired me. Everything came together in a big melting pot of inspiration. 

Rebecca: Why did you choose to write this story in verse? Did it just sorta happen that way, or was it planned?

A.L.: No, not planned! I originally wrote Red Butterfly in prose when it was a YA novel. Then when I switched it to MG, a lot had to change. A friend had recently introduced me to the verse novel style and I loved it, so I decided to rewrite Red Butterfly that way. I knew the subject of abandonment was going to be heavy for kids, so I wanted a lighter touch. Verse offered that lighter touch. 

Rebecca: What was your biggest challenge when writing this story? Or did it all just come together like magic? 

A.L.: There was very little magic involved. The first draft (in prose) was grueling, so I would say that was the biggest challenge. After that, it got a bit easier. Writing the second draft in verse was not hard, because Kara’s voice seemed to flow naturally that way. After I signed with my agent, Kate Testerman, she wanted me to expand on the ending quite a bit. I wrote a whole extra section at that point, adding a third to the book’s original length. 

Rebecca: Share a little bit about this story's journey to publication.

A.L.: I had an agent when I wrote Red Butterfly, but she didn’t connect to the book, so I had to find a new agent to represent me. Thankfully Kate Testerman of kt literary did connect to Red Butterfly and was able to find the perfect home for it at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Working with my editor, Christian Trimmer, and his team has been a dream. They brought on artist Amy June Bates to do several illustrations and the cover art. She ended up doing LOTS of illustrations for the book, and I feel like they add so much to the final product. I am indebted to all the people who helped Red Butterfly along on her journey! 

Rebecca: Do you have a favorite verse novel? A favorite poet?

A.L.: I think my favorite verse novel is probably the first verse novel I ever read—Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. I’ve loved a lot of verse novels since then, but there’s something about the first time you fall in love. 

As for poetry, I’m going with a classic! I will always love Robert Lewis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses. When I read it with my kids, many of the poems still make me teary eyed. 

Rebecca: Out of the Dust was my first verse novel too! It is also one of my very favorites!

Are there any other books, verse novels or otherwise, in your publishing future? 

A.L.: I don’t have anything on contract, but I’m working on another verse novel set in China, this one a historical novel, about a boy who runs away to join a red boat Cantonese opera troupe. I’m also working on a novel in prose, about a girl who is on the brink of losing her mother and travels back in time with her best friend in an attempt to save her. 

Rebecca: Both of those ideas sound wonderful, and so different from each other. I will be happy to read either one of those books one day!

Anything else you'd like to add? Tips, writing advice, encouragement for aspiring verse novelists?

A.L.: I am definitely still learning a lot about publishing and how I operate as a writer, so I’m not the best person to hand out advice. But I will say, dreaming big is great, but doing the job of actually writing is the most important hurdle. So my advice is: sit down and write. Not very glamorous, I know!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog, Becky! Happy National Poetry Month, everyone!

Rebecca: My pleasure!

To find out more about A.L. Sonnichsen, visit her blog, The Green Bathtub. You can also follow her on twitter.

If you're interested in reading Red Butterfly (and you really should!), you can order it online at the following retailers (or drop by your local book store):

Barnes & Noble
IndieBound
BAM
Amazon

National Poetry Month: An April Acrostic

A month of celebrating
Poetry in all its forms,
Rhythm and rhyme
Imagery and alliteration, the
Language of words as art.