SUGGESTIONS FOR POETRY WRITING SESSIONS IN LIBRARIES

1. Imitate the masters. Have fun with the beginning line of the poem that the "Red Hat Ladies" have made famous: "When I am old, I shall . . ." (from this point on let each poet take it on their own - What would they do if they were totally free to do what they wanted without worrying about others' opinions?)
   
2. Borrow a "formula" where you fill in the blanks, create a rough poem, and then refine it with your imagination. There are many available for using personification, using a repetitious formula like the "I Am" poems, etc.. Contact Cherie Heser at rclib@rangeweb.net for some of these if you wish.
   
3. Listen to the masters. There are great tapes and CDs of people like Robert Frost reading their own poetry. I like Frost because you can use him for a specific season like fall to get people going on their own simple expression of well-known things like leaves in fall - a technique which Frost is marvelous at. Let them borrow something like "Two paths diverged in a wood . . ." and take off on their own track.
   
4. Make a list. A great one is to have people create a list of 10-12 things where every line begins "Montana is . . . ." followed by an image (with this one it is important to begin the discussion with imagery so that they are not just stuck on "Montana is . . . . ranchers" but actually create pictures with their words. "Montana is . . . sun-browned faces under western hats, with eyes that know both the horizon and the smallest grass." If you are doing seasonal poetry, which often is a good place to start in libraries, then make the list "Spring is . . . ." or "Fall is . . . ." or "Christmas is . . . .", etc.
   
5. Grab a current popular subject. Have them pick one moment in the Lewis & Clark Expedition which grabs their imagination - like being on top of Pompey's Pillar with Clark and Little Pomp or seeing the Great Falls for the first time with Lewis. Have them write on topics currently popular in your town, like quilt shows or the Fair, or Arbor Day. If your town or county has a special anniversary (Centennial, etc.), gather writers of all ages and have them share poems or even prose related to this special place, its history, its color, its special people, its future, etc.