I thought it would be fun to share my creative process for 5 (of the 30) poems I wrote last month for the Poem A Day challenge. I did something like this in February and I have always enjoyed the stories of inspiration from artists. I have a number of iTunes Originals albums that combine an interview with music from the artist. So in that vibe, here is the first of five blog posts about writing poetry. Side note: I use the prompts provided by Robert Lee Brewer of Writer’s Digest.
Day 11 Prompt: Nature
“Clouds”
Even
when they look like a child cut them out of white fabric,
clouds are in constant motion.
Edges shifting,
water vapor colliding with dust.
Internal turmoil
that we can not see,
only feel when we get caught in the rain.
Poetic Form: Descort
First, the descort poetic form is one of my favorite forms to write in. The rules are simple, no line can be the same in the poem. That means no rhyming, different syllable count, no repeat of literary elements. Each line is unique. I love the challenge this form gives.
During the month of April, I tried to learn the prompt for the day as soon as I could, usually as I took the first sips of my coffee. That way I could think about it and try to write a rough draft during my lunch break. But on this day the idea came to me on the drive to school. Ironically, this is the second poem that was inspired during the same time (The Creative Process).
The horizon is clear for the last part of our drive to school, and the sunrises can be beautiful. On this day the clouds caught my attention, they were moving, shifting. And here is where ideas can be generated because you are thinking about something specific. The muse can be called. You do not have to wait for inspiration.
Knowing I had to write a nature poem, my thoughts started to center on the clouds, and why they changed. Even though I wasn’t looking at rain clouds, I thought about what triggers the cloud to release the rain.
When I got to school I researched how clouds generate rain and what conditions allow for the rain to fall. I had already decided that the theme of the poem would be centered on us (people) not knowing what a cloud was going through. A metaphor for people not knowing what other people were going through. Also, I had already decided that I was going to use the descort form because of its shifting style. In this case I felt the form perfectly matched the theme of the poem.
After researching how rain worked inside a cloud, I jotted down my main ideas. Very rough first draft.
Now, there is a mix of magic and artistic goals in any work of art. I wanted the poem to start out on a positive note, then move to the rain, and finish with the reveal of the theme. I knew I wasn’t worried about rhyming, but I did have to pay attention to my line breaks because each line had to have a different syllable count.
I think I revealed the tension of internal conflict well in the opening three lines (in fact a single sentence). Then I used the information I learned about rain and finished with my theme. That we don’t know the internal struggle of clouds (people) until we have been caught in the rain.
This poem’s creation came rather quickly, but highlights the importance of researching so that descriptions can be accurate, and that creativity can be generated with a focused mindset.
Let me know what you think of the poem, or if you just want to share your creative process with me in the comment sections.
It is all Connected 