As part of my tween writing club’s exploration of poetry, we took a look at what is perhaps perhaps the genre’s most intimidating form – free verse.
Why does free verse sometimes feel so challenging, for both new and seasoned poets alike? I think it’s because, unlike many other poetic styles, there are no rules. While this kind of creative freedom can liberating, it can also, like staring at a blank piece of paper, feel overwhelming. There are just so many possibilities! How do you start? Where do you go? When do you end? Haiku, limericks, sonnets, rhyming couplets – they all have rules that tell you what to put down, where to put it, and when to end. Free verse doesn’t have that comforting structure – it’s like diving into the ocean without knowing where the bottom is, or how far you are to shore.
To help my students dip their toes into free verse, I gave them two visual prompts – one a quiet, peaceful scene reminiscent of a Bob Ross Joy of Painting creation, the other a snapshot of a dark and moody metropolis. I asked them to look carefully at both images for a moment, taking in as many details as they could. I asked to to think about how it might feel to be in those places – what they might experience with all their senses, and to imagine what kind of person might live in or visit such a place. Then, I asked them to pick one of the images, and write about it. The only limit was time – we had 10 minutes to write, before we’d come back and share what we’d created (if we wanted to, of course – no one is ever made to share if they’re not comfortable doing so).
Having the prompt turned out to be really helpful, as it gave students something to focus on and write about, thus removing some of the intimidation of the blank page. I had read them some free verse mentor texts at the beginning of the session, so they had some inspiration ahead of time, and some examples to draw from if they started to feel lost. We would be doing some completely free writing later in the program, so they would have plenty of opportunities to explore their own topics of interest – this guided writing exercise was like training wheels, if you will, building their confidence before they starting writing on their own.
Here’s what I came up with, as my free verse mentor text:
Ducks on the lake
Small ships adrift on a mirror
Nowhere to go
Nowhere to be
Today, I will shed my form
My worries and cares
I will let the wind take me
I will be a ship
Adrift, but not lost
I just loved the idea of letting go, of just being in the present moment, letting the day happen and living at peace in my beautiful (imaginary) cottage in the woods. Doesn’t it just seem lovely?
Do you enjoy writing free verse?
Almost all writing comes easier for beginners when there is a visual prompt to get them started!
“Free verse doesn’t have that comforting structure – it’s like diving into the ocean without knowing where the bottom is, or how far you are to shore.” Yup. That’s it exactly. I rely heavily on structure of some kind in my free verse poems, even though I make it up as I go along. Love this activity and your mentor poem, Jane. I’m putting this one on my poetry prompts to share list. Thank you!
“Adrift but not lost”! Love that. Your students are so lucky to have a writing group.
That’s so great that you’re helping your students experience all kinds of poetry, Jane, free verse, too. Your own poem is a wonderful invitation to that place. I love “I will be a ship. . .” Now I will write, “safe travels!”
I write often in free verse, but I think I enjoy form as much or more. Writing in form feels like solving a puzzle. I have to be more essential with my words in order to paint a complete picture.
I can see how your visual prompts were such a help to your students!
“Adrift but not lost” — lovely.
“Adrift, but not lost” – what a great last line. I strive to be in that place where I can let go of my anxiety and need to control, and just be. Your use of “guided writing exercise was like training wheels” is brilliant for your young writer’s group and for a more experienced writer like myself. A blank page is daunting no matter where you are in your writing journey.