Prompt: Foreign Lands

Write about a foreign country. If you've never been to one, invent one. Actually, even if you have been to one, feel free to invent one.

Or write about something else entirely, since it's

Totally Optional

!

Request for Poems, Ghazal

TOPers, did you enjoy the ghazal? Or do you have something else to share with us today?

Prompt: Ghazal

The ghazal is one my favorite forms: flexible enough to permit a wide variety of approaches, yet has a distinct flavor of its own. Loosely speaking, a ghazal is made up of couplets where each couplet ends with the same word or short phrase. Each couplet should stand on its own as a short poem in itself, though all are expected to be thematically linked.

For some excellent examples of contemporary ghazals, visit The Ghazal Page

For more technical (and disputatious) definitions, read this essay

and then try writing your hand at writing a ghazal. Or not. Remember, it's

Totally Optional

!

Request for Poems: Tempo

Aak! Sorry, everyone. I spaced putting up the Request last night.

I'll transfer all the links from people's comments to Mr. Linky. If you're just logging in now, please leave your link here:

Totally Optional Prompt: Tempo

It's summer here in the US. School is out. For some of us, the pace of life is slower; others may find themselves busier. Even if there's more to do, though, the hot weather seems to slow most people down.

Pacing and tempo are very important in poetry as well. Compare the breathlessly rapid lines of Emily Dickinson's Wild Nights with the slower but inexorable train-roll of Nazim Hikmet's Things I Didn't Know I Loved. Notice how Richard Hugo's Driving Montana accelerates through the last few lines. How does he accomplish this? Look at the tempo changes in Carl Sandburg's Chicago and Tom Sleigh's Augusto Jandolo.

Write a poem and pay careful attention to the pacing. Make it slow or fast, accelerating or decelerating. Consider the effects of line length and punctuation. Pay special attention to the verbs you use.

Come back Wednesday night or Thursday morning and leave us a link to your

Totally Optional

poem, or to something else entirely.

Request For 'First Giraffe' Poems

It's time to show your cards, and see what the other poets have on their minds. The Linky widget included with this posting is a fine way to leave a link to your poem inspired by the 'First Giraffe' prompt, or any other poem you want to share. Comments are available if Linky doesn't work for you, or you want to add encouraging remarks, or any other remarks.

I'm through for a while so Saturday night Tiel Aisha Ansari will put up the next Totally Optional Prompt. And, thanks for your support.

The Totally Optional Prompt is 'First Giraffe'

The first giraffe In France arrived In Paris on June 30, 1827. Gosh, I wonder what that was like. And, I wonder what is like that.

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Remarks on the prompt, your latest poetry discovery, or this 'poetry exchange' blog can be made as comments to this posting. Late Wednesday night, between one rerun and another, I'll post a Request For Poems, where you can leave a link to your poem inspired by the prompt, or any other poem you want to share.

Request For 'Summer' Poems

It's time to show your summer hat, and see what the other poets have on their minds. The Linky widget included with this posting is a fine way to leave a link to your poem inspired by the 'Summer' prompt, or any other poem you want to share. Comments are available if Linky doesn't work for you, or you want to add encouraging remarks, or any other remarks.

Saturday night I'll put up the next Totally Optional Prompt. And, thanks for your support.

The Totally Optional Prompt is 'Summer'

The June 21 is the first day of summer, which makes this a time of transition into whatever summer represents. The challenge this week is to write 'like summer', or 'like summer is going to be'.

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Remarks on the prompt, your latest poetry discovery, or this 'poetry exchange' blog can be made as comments to this posting. Late Wednesday night, between one rerun and another, I'll post a Request For Poems, where you can leave a link to your poem inspired by the prompt, or any other poem you want to share.

Request For 'Flowers' Poems

It's time to throw your flowers on the table, and see what the other poets have on their minds. The Linky widget included with this posting is a fine way to leave a link to your poem inspired by the 'Flowers' prompt, or any other poem you want to share. Comments are available if Linky doesn't work for you, or you want to add encouraging remarks, or any other remarks.

Saturday night I'll put up the next Totally Optional Prompt. And, thanks for your support.

The Totally Optional Prompt is 'Flowers'

This is the time of year when we get, or should get, flowers on the trees and in the garden. The challenge this week is to write 'like a flower'.

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Remarks on the prompt, your latest poetry discovery, or this 'poetry exchange' blog can be made as comments to this posting. Late Wednesday night, between one rerun and another, I'll post a Request For Poems, where you can leave a link to your poem inspired by the prompt, or any other poem you want to share.

Request For 'Reflections on the Primary' Poems

It's time to throw your reflections on the table, and see what the other poets have on their minds. The Linky widget included with this posting is a fine way to leave a link to your poem inspired by the 'Reflections on the Primary' prompt, or any other poem you want to share. Comments are available if Linky doesn't work for you, or you want to add encouraging remarks, or any other remarks.

Saturday night I'll put up the next Totally Optional Prompt. And, thanks for your support.

The Totally Optional Prompt is 'Reflections on the Primary'

The recently concluded Democratic caucuses and primary elections will result in the nomination of Barack Obama. Write a poem that reflects on this unprecedented, overrated, historic, conflicted, significant, never ending event that is only an intermediate step in the election process.

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Remarks on the prompt, your latest poetry discovery, or this 'poetry exchange' blog can be made as comments to this posting. Late Wednesday night, between one rerun and another, I'll post a Request For Poems, where you can leave a link to your poem inspired by the prompt, or any other poem you want to share.

Request For 'Storms and Hurricanes' Poems

It's time to throw your poem on the table, and see what the other poets have in their hands. The Linky widget included with this posting is a fine way to leave a link to your poem inspired by the 'Storms and Hurricanes' prompt, or any other poem you want to share. Comments are available if Linky doesn't work for you, or you want to add encouraging remarks, or any other remarks.

Saturday night I'll put up the next Totally Optional Prompt. And, thanks for your support.