Archive for the ‘Poetry Rules’ Category
Saturday, November 22nd, 2014
It’s Limerick-Off time, once again. And that means I write a limerick, and you write your own, using the same first line. Then you post your limerick here and, if you’re a Facebook user, on Facebook too.
The best submission will be crowned Limerick Of The Week. (Here’s last week’s Limerick Of The Week Winner.)
How will your poems be judged? By meter, rhyme, cleverness, and humor. (If you’re feeling a bit fuzzy about limerick writing rules, here’s my How To Write A Limerick article.)
I’ll announce the Limerick of the Week Winner next Sunday, right before I post next week’s Limerick-Off. So that gives you a full week to submit your clever, polished verse. Your submission deadline is Saturday at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time.)
I hope you’ll join me in writing a limerick with this first line:
A fellow was knocked on his butt…*
or
A woman was often the butt…*
or
A man was a pain in the butt…*
or
A gal was obsessed with her butt…*
or
A fellow who loved saying “but”…*
or
A fellow was holding the butt…*
*(Please note that minor variations to my first lines are acceptable. However, rhyme words may not be altered, except by using homonyms or homophones.)
Here’s my limerick:
The Butt Of Limericks
By Madeleine Begun Kane
A large woman said, “Doc, do my butt.
“It’s too small, and I’d like it to jut.”
“But your butt is too jutting,”
He answered, quite cutting.
“I find your case open and shut.”
Please feel free to write your own limerick using the same first line and post it in my comments. And if you’re on Facebook, I hope you’ll join my friends in that same activity on my Facebook Limerick-Off post.
To receive an email alert whenever I post a new Limerick-Off, please email Madkane@MadKane.com Subject: MadKane’s Newsletter. Thanks!
Tags: Competition Limerick, Limerick Challenge, Limerick Contest, Poetry & Prompts, Writing Prompts
Posted in Behavior & Personality, Contests, Health & Medical Humor, Health Verse, Limerick & Haiku Prompts, Limerick Competition, Limerick Contest, Limerick Writing Contest, Limerick-Offs, Limericks, Physical Appearance, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Rules | 53 Comments »
Thursday, October 3rd, 2013
Happy birthday to Chubby Checker! The father of the twist (my favorite dance) was born October 3, 1941.
I thought I’d celebrate with an acrostic limerick, which is as mind-bending as the twist is body-bending:
Acrostic Limerick Ode To Chubby Checker
By Madeleine Begun Kane
There’s a dance with a hot checkered past.
We grooved on its moves — whirling fast!
I still do it today,
Shifting weight, as I sway–
Twirling waist motion, saucily cast.
If you’re asking yourself, “What’s an acrostic limerick?” here’s some info:
In an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line should, taken together, spell out the topic of your poem. Please note that it’s NOT enough to spell out a word; Your limerick or other poem must describe or otherwise directly relate to that word.
Tags: Acrostic Limerick, Acrostic Poems, Acrostic Poetry Challenge, Celebrity Birthdays, Chubby Checker, Dance Humor, Dance Limerick, Music Limerick, Poetry Forms, Twist
Posted in Acrostic Limericks, Acrostic Madness, Acrostic Poetry Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 16 Comments »
Thursday, July 4th, 2013
I’ve decided to post an extra challenge this week, just in case my Limerick-Offs aren’t keeping you busy enough. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write an ACROSTIC poem that has something to do with FOOD, in any form you choose, be it limerick, haiku, quatrain, tanka, etc.
What’s an acrostic poem?
In an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line should, taken together, spell out the topic of your poem. Please note that it’s NOT enough to spell out a word; Your limerick or other poem must describe or otherwise directly relate to that word.
I’ll illustrate with an acrostic limerick, bolding the first letter of each line, for emphasis:
Acrostic Spice (Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Sometimes people like food that is bland.
Perhaps some enjoy cooking that’s canned.
I, in case I can’t savor
Cuisine that lacks flavor,
Embellish the dishes, by hand.
UPDATE: June 10th is National Herbs And Spices Day and August 19 is Hot And Spicy Food Day.
Tags: Acrostic Limerick, Acrostic Poems, Acrostic Poetry Challenge, Food Limerick, Hot And Spicy Food Day, June Holidays, National Herbs And Spices Day, Odd Holidays, Poetry Forms, Spices Humor, Spicy Food
Posted in Acrostic Limericks, Acrostic Madness, Acrostic Poetry Prompts, Food & Drink Humor, Limericks, Odd Holidays, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 16 Comments »
Thursday, June 13th, 2013
I’ve decided to post an extra challenge this week, just in case my Limerick-Offs aren’t keeping you busy enough. Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to write an ACROSTIC poem that has something to do with MUSIC, in any form you choose, be it limerick, haiku, quatrain, tanka, etc.
What’s an acrostic poem?
In an acrostic poem, the first letter of each line should, taken together, spell out the topic of your poem.
I’ll illustrate with an acrostic limerick, bolding the first letter of each line, for emphasis:
Oh the sound of this instrument’s glorious,
But playing it’s rather laborious.
Out a thin double reed
Emerge notes that indeed
Sound sweetly intense, or uproarious.
Tags: Acrostic Limerick, Acrostic Poems, Acrostic Poetry Challenge, Music Limerick, Oboe, Poetry Forms
Posted in Acrostic Limericks, Acrostic Madness, Acrostic Poetry Prompts, Limericks, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 6 Comments »
Thursday, March 1st, 2012
Every once in a while I like to experiment with a new (to me) form. Today, it’s the quatern.
Writer’s Digest’s Poetic Asides Blog, which is holding a quatern contest, describes the form as follows:
Quatern Poetic Form Rules
1. This poem has 16 lines broken up into 4 quatrains (or 4-line stanzas).
2. Each line is comprised of eight syllables.
3. The first line is the refrain. In the second stanza, the refrain appears in the second line; in the third stanza, the third line; in the fourth stanza, the fourth (and final) line.
4. There are no rules for rhyming or iambics.
Here’s the quatern I submitted to WD’s contest:
Queasy About Quaterns
By Madeleine Begun Kane
As I attempt to write this verse,
I must confess I start to curse.
A quatern is what’s been assigned.
Already I am in a bind.
I feel confused and somewhat terse,
As I attempt to write this verse.
So please forgive me if I whine.
My limericks are where I shine.
I’d like to stop, but can’t refrain
From trying this quatern again.
As I attempt to write this verse,
I fear that it is getting worse.
I’m tempted to reject this form.
About its rules I feel lukewarm.
I’m getting ill. I need a nurse,
As I attempt to write this verse.
Tags: Poetic Asides, Poetry Contest, Poetry Forms, Quaterns, Quatrains, Writer's Digest, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Competitions, Writing Prompts
Posted in Poetry Contest, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Quaterns, Writing & Publishing Humor | 7 Comments »
Monday, April 25th, 2011
First off, this limerick (despite its name) has nothing to do with macaroni. I’m not suffering from Passover pasta-withdrawal. Nor do my dreams (or nightmares) ever feature anything of a noodle nature.
So why the title? I just learned, from the delightfully informative Miss Rumphius, about the rare and usually comic form called macaronic verse. What the heck is macaronic verse? We’re told that it’s a usually absurd and nonsensical “poem in a mixture of two languages, one of them preferably Latin,” and that “the poet usually subjects one language to the grammatical laws of another to make people laugh.”
So naturally I had to try it, mixing legal terms (mostly Latin) in with standard limerick English:
Macaronic Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
The corpus is AWOL. Oh my!
I attest that I left it hereby.
What a bona fide mess.
My mentis has stress.
It’s de facto I mortemed that fly.
(Linked at We Write Poems pairings prompt.)
Tags: April Holidays, Insect and Bug Humor, Jewish Holidays, Law Humor, Legal Jargon, Legal Limerick, Light Verse, Macaronic Verse, Passover, Poetry Forms, Stress Humor
Posted in Holiday Humor, Insect Humor, Light Verse, Limericks, Macaronic Verse, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules | 32 Comments »
Thursday, April 7th, 2011
I’ve never written an Acrostic poem before, let alone an Acrostic Limerick. But writing this was fun, in a mind-puzzle kind of way.
Now if I understand the basic acrostic rules, the first letter of each line must spell out whatever your poem is about. Acrostic Only has a lot more info and a generous assortment of acrostic prompts.
Wedded To Acrostics (Acrostic Limerick)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
“Enlarging our guest list again?
Let me see it,” said bride-to-be Gwen.
“Oh no! What a slew!
Pa, this simply won’t do!
Eloping tomorrow, at ten.”
*****
Author’s Note: I updated this post to change line five’s first word from “Eloping” to “Escaping.” Any thoughts on which one is better? I can’t decide. Thanks!
Update: Thanks to feedback here and on Facebook, I changed it back to “Eloping” and also got rid of the bold first letters. Thanks everyone!
Update 2: I’ve changed the title, so as to not give the game away.
Tags: Acrostic Only, Acrostic Poems, Brides & Grooms, Elopement Verse, Guest Lists, Marriage Humor, Parents, Wedding Limerick
Posted in Acrostic Limericks, Anxiety & Stress, Family & Relatives Humor, Family Verse, Limericks, Marriage Humor, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules | 33 Comments »
Friday, April 1st, 2011
Limerick Lament
By Madeleine Begun Kane
There are times that I feel like a tool,
Complying with each lim’rick rule.
So starting today
I refuse to obey.
Don’t believe me? You’re right. April Fool!
(My 2nd National Poetry Month poem, and it’s still April 1st. Yippee!)
Tags: April Fools' Day, April Holidays, Limerick Rules, Poetry Forms, Writing & Publishing Humor
Posted in Celebrations Poetry, Creativity Verse, Holiday Humor, Limericks, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 17 Comments »
Saturday, March 26th, 2011
Salute To Satire
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Funny,
yet insightful,
making people ponder
as it soundly zaps its targets.
Witty,
subtle, pointed ammunition
aims, fires, amuses,
inciting us
to think.
(Author’s Note: This is a Butterfly Cinquain. The syllable count is 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, 8, 6, 4, 2. At least, I hope it’s a Butterfly Cinquain — I’ve never tried writing one before.)
Tags: Butterfly Cinquain, Poetry Forms, Satire
Posted in Cinquains, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Wordplay | 13 Comments »
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Epiphany (Tanka)
By Madeleine Begun Kane
My muse teases me,
Awaiting epiphanies
That never arrive.
So I must go it alone,
Writing until I’m amused.
(Note: Tanka is five line Japanese poetry which pre-dates haiku and whose syllabic form is 5-7-5-7-7. I usually think of it as haiku plus two more 7 syllable lines. My Epiphany Tanka was inspired by the Writers Island epiphany prompt.)
Tags: Creativity, Epiphanies, Inspiration, Japanese Poetry, Muse, Tanka, Writer's Block, Writing & Publishing Humor, Writing Prompts
Posted in Creativity Verse, Poetry & Prompts, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Tanka, Writing & Publishing Humor | 14 Comments »
Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
One of my limerick-writing pals has challenged me to hold a Double-Dactyl-Off. My initial response was “What the hell’s a double dactyl?”
So I Googled it, read the rules, and attempted to write a couple of them myself. I’ll try to summarize the rules here and will provide links to some good resources and samples. (Don’t worry if you find the rules confusing. Once you read a couple of examples, they make more sense.)
1) A double dactyl is a two stanza (eight line) humorous poem consisting mostly of dactyls. What’s a dactyl? A dactyl has three syllables, one stressed followed by two unstressed (/ _ _ ).
2) Line 1 is a nonsense phrase consisting of two dactyls (like Higgeldy Piggeldy or Dickery Dockery or Flippity Flappity.)
3) Line 2 is the name of a famous person (usually historic) but must be a double dactyl (like Emily Dickinson or Joseph DiMaggio or Hans Christian Andersen.)
4) Lines 4 and 8 must rhyme.
5) Somewhere in the second stanza there’s is a double dactyl formed by a single word (like megalomaniac or gubernatorial or idiosyncrasy.)
Here’s the form which I borrowed from Miss Rumphius.
1 – double dactyl nonsense phrase (like Higgeldy Piggeldy)
2 – double dactyl of a person’s name
3 – double dactyl
4 – one dactyl plus a stressed syllable (/ _ _ / )
5 – double dactyl
6 – double dactyl
7 – double dactyl
8 – one dactyl plus a stressed syllable (/ _ _ / )
(Wikipedia provides the rules and examples.)
Here are my first two attempts. (I invite you to post your own in my comments.)
Higgledy Piggledy
Ludwig van Beethoven
Wrote the Eroica,
Sadly went deaf.
Incontrovertibly
Gifted and masterful.
Some say he’s better than
Brahms. Need a ref.
*****
Rickety Rackety
David A. Paterson
Got to be gov cuz boss
Spitzer resigned.
Patterson governed us
Counter-productively.
Sure’s been a while since a
Governor’s shined.
I’m looking forward to your double dactyls. Have fun! And if you’re on Facebook, please post your double dactyls here on Facebook too.
Tags: David Paterson, Double Dactyls, Emily Dickinson, Hans Christian Andersen, Historic Persons, Humorous Verse, Ludwig van Beethoven, Poetry Challenge
Posted in Creativity Verse, Double Dactyls, Light Verse, Music Humor & Verse, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Political Satire | 9 Comments »
Monday, December 20th, 2010
Every so often I get missives from poetry purists. Their message? Most of my haiku are by strict definition senryu.
Now I hate to admit it, but these sticklers are technically correct. For while haiku and senryu take the same form — three line, seventeen syllable poems (five-seven-five) — historically their subject matter and attitude differ.
If you’re waxing poetic about the physical world, chances are what you’ve written is a classic haiku. Throw in a seasonal reference, and it’s a haiku slam dunk.
But if your topic is human nature and human foibles, it’s probably best to label your verse a senryu, especially if you’re being satirical.
Confused? Don’t worry — most people find all this perplexing. In fact, there are lots of articles discussing this very question, and they don’t all agree with one another. Which is probably why so many people (like me) tend to take the easy way out and label all of our seventeen syllable masterpieces haiku.
But please don’t throw up your hands in unpoetic bewilderment. My explanation in the form of a three-verse limerick just might help or, at least, amuse you:
Haiku Or Senryu, That Is The Question
By Madeleine Begun Kane
So how do you write a haiku?
And when’s a haiku senryu?
Both are five-seven-five,
But heavens alive—
All their diff’rences cause much ado.
The distinction’s confounding to some.
Don’t confuse them — you might be called “Bum!”
If your verse has unfurled
On the natural world,
Then you’ve followed haiku’s rule of thumb.
But if seventeen syllables speak,
Not of nature, but human critique,
With satirical pearls
Mocking people — guys, girls —
You’ve embarked on a senryu streak.
Tags: Haiku Humor, Poetry & Prompts, Senryu Humor, Writing Haiku, Writing Satire
Posted in Haiku & Senryu, Limericks, Poems About Poems, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 5 Comments »
Monday, September 13th, 2010
The Washington Post runs a yearly limerick writing competition as part of its Style Invitational and has just announced this year’s winners. No, I didn’t win, but I was pleased to receive an Honorable Mention.
If you’d like to read some clever, well-written limericks, I recommend reading the winning limericks.
And now, a limerick about writing limericks:
An Ode To The Limerick
By Madeleine Begun Kane
Writing lim’ricks is sometimes confusing
Cuz the rules can be tricky and bruising.
But their sing-songy beat
Can be fun — just don’t cheat.
Write them right and they’re very amusing.
Tags: Poetry Writing, Style Invitational, Washington Post Limerick Contest, Writing Limericks
Posted in Creativity Verse, Limerick Writing Contest, Limericks, Poems About Poems, Poetry Contest, Poetry Forms, Poetry Rules, Writing & Publishing Humor | 4 Comments »
