A Poetry Challenge

I wrote a poem the other day about Covid. What I typically do with my poetry is find a big topic to talk about, and then use a metaphor of something trivial and mundane, so I did the same thing here. The problem is that Covid is such an emotionally rich topic, that the poem…

Analyze This: “Men” by Maya Angelou

When I was young, I used toWatch behind the curtainsAs men walked up and down the street. Wino men, old men.Young men sharp as mustard.See them. Men are alwaysGoing somewhere.They knew I was there. FifteenYears old and starving for them.Under my window, they would pauses,Their shoulders high like theBreasts of a young girl,Jacket tails slapping…

Literary Device: Turn

I’ve used the word ‘turn’ referring to poetry parts a few times and I think it’s about time I go into detail about what that really is. A turn in poetry is the part of a poem, if included, that draws the reader’s perception in a completely different direction from the original direction of the…

Langston Hughes

This particular writer is one that gets a lot of popularity, so I’m going to let other experts walk you through his life. I already talked a little bit about what I know regarding how he had to frame his poetry to be accepted, so I’d like to share this article which goes into more…

Plot in Poetry

A problem I’ve noticed creeps up a lot is the idea that poetry doesn’t really have a plot. This isn’t the case. Poetry can have a plot just like a novel can, it can have a rising action, a climax, a falling action, or just a climax and a falling action, or just a rising…

Langston Hughes: “Let America be America Again”

Let America Be America Again Poem by Langston Hughes Let America be America again.Let it be the dream it used to be.Let it be the pioneer on the plainSeeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed–Let it be that great strong…

Analyze This: “XVII (I do not Love You)” by Pablo Neruda

The following poem is modern written, but also modern translated, so please bear in mind that if you can understand and read Spanish, you may wish to explore the poem in it’s original language: link. Xvii (I Do Not Love You…) I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz, or the arrow…

Analyze This: “I Wrote a Good Omelet” by Nikki Giovanni

I chose this poem for the same reason I choose most poems. It showed up today while I was reading poems and I picked it for it’s volume and skills. Our poet today is still with us, so please go support her works! You can find more information on her and her career at her…

On “Write What You Know”

I find this to be another misnomer that people try to live through. While many people say “write what you know” I don’t know if they actually realize how that is intended to be used in writing. First off, let’s get some history. This was probably popularized by Mark Twain. He lived around the same…

Another Master Class Article: Chapbooks

Chapbooks are an avenue we can use to publish our work with cost, and publishing in mind. There are many, many chapbook contests out in the wide world of poetry, so knowing some basics about publishing them is a good idea. Here’s an article which talks about just that and it’s worth the short read…