It’s January again … the start of a new year and time for month of poetry again.  In Month of Poetry, I – with a bunch of wild, talented, inspiring poets – challenge ourselves to writing a poem each day of the month.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve felt like my poems have needed more variety in form – so as an added challenge, I’m experimenting with a different form each day. I’m also in the middle of editing for publication my novel Akrad’s Children. Here’s my Day 15 poem – a List poem.

A Novel Cake

Take a modicum of talent

a cup full of dreams

and hard work in equal measure,

mix together vigorously.

Stir in two aspirations well beaten

and half a cup of constructive feedback

until reaching a smooth and creamy consistency.

Add chopped metaphors (never mixed) to taste.

and a pinch of optimism.

Bake well in the scorching oven of opinion.

When cool, sprinkle with crystallised hopes.

Allow to settle to release the flavours

and garnish with a swirl of revision.

Serve with a generous side of promotion.

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Warning this cake may cause tears but has been known to be addictive.

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Jeanette O’Hagan 15 January 2017

Exploring Poetry Forms

1.  Free Verse – No Man’s Land

2. Acrostic

3. Ballad

4. Cinquain

5. Diamante or Diamond poem

6. Echo poem

7.  Saturday Challenge – Single Sense Poem –

8. Found Poem – Book Titles

9. Ghazal

10. Haibun.

11. Imayo

12. Joybell

13. Kyrielle

14. Saturday Challenge – theme Kiss – a Sevenling

15. List poem

16. Mirror (or Palindrome) poem

17. Nonet

18. Ode

19. Pantoum

20. Qasida

21. Saturday challenge – poem based on photo – free verse

22. Rispetto

23. Sijo

24. Tyburn

25. Utendi

26. Vietnamese Sonnet

27. Wordsworth Sestet

28. Saturday Challenge – non-fiction poem – a Shardorma

29. Xiasmic

30. Ya Du

31. ZaniLa Rhyme

Form, theme and emotion – all play a part in poetry. Some poems are clever, some straight from the heart. So far, it’s been fun stretching myself, finding new forms, pushing the edges of where the possibilities lie.

What about you – do you love to write poetry? What are you favourite forms? Have you always wanted to give it a go?

Jenny