Learning to be creative

Introduction and Definitions:
In this lesson you will be turning an argument into the creative form poetry. There are many different literary forms that can be used to present an argument creatively. When presenting in these forms an argument can become more effective. While an argumentative essay may be very informative, it is not always the best way to get your point across or gain the attention of your audience. Poetry is a type of literary art which uses its melodic form in addition to its underlying meaning of words to help get a point or argument into the minds of its audience. Poetry has different forms such as confessional poetry, epic poetry, prose, soliloquy, and many others. In using any type of poetry, you are using a lyrical form to capture the audience’s attention, by being both entertaining and pleasing to the ears.

How to create a poem:
Start with a topic (i.e. your argument). Next choose a form of poetry. Each form of poetry has a different style and some could be more beneficial than others when presenting your topic. Some examples to choose from are:

Confessional Poetry: This is a very intimate kind of poetry and uses a lot of feeling. It usually is a detailed account of a period in the author’s life. The format can be in almost any style like prose.

Epic Poetry: This can be seen in great works like Homer’s Iliad or Odyssey. Works like these tell a story in a narrative form. There is no set format, however great works are known to have a “beat”. Use syllables in words to create a rhythm such as iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter rhythm is a string of feet which is a short syllable followed by a long syllable. For example: We walk in rain and snow, to work from home. (da DUM, da DUM, da Dum, da DUM, da DUM). While epic poetry is known to be very lengthy there are exceptions.

Prose: Prose has no set form or structure. This type of poem does not need the rhythm or rhyme that other poems do. Prose is mostly seen as short descriptive and “straight-forward” lines of poetry strung together. In my example below I choose to format prose a little different to incorporate other forms of poetry.

Soliloquy: This is like a monologue. A monologue is when the artist is talking to no one in particular. These are commonly used in drama. An example is from the famous speech is Shakespeare’s Macbeth of “To be or not to be…”

After selecting your type of poetry next start writing. Use the first stanza as an introduction to capture your audience. This stanza can either introduce your topic or set a scene, such as a background image, that is relatable to your topic. In the next few stanzas is where the body or description of your argument will go. In these stanzas you want to be creative, remember it is a poem. In a way you almost want to be cryptic but only so you gain a melody. If you are too cryptic then your audience will never know your argument. In you final stanza(s) you want to conclude. This conclusion is not a restatement. What this conclusion is trying to do is make the audience think and want more. The final line may end in an open ended question.

Example:
The example below is of a poem I wrote on a small community group who hosts an open mic night at the Mercury Café. My argument was about this poetry group who is trying to attract more members to it. Therefore I wrote a poem, about this group, that tries to achieve two things. The first is to inform my audience of this group in an indirect fashion. The second is to inspire others to think and write poetically, and perhaps they will be inspired to join this community as well.

Join in the Café:
We all want to be in a room full of friends
Where we can speak freely and the support never ends
A place were speaking your mind isn’t a crime
And asking for advice doesn’t cost a dime

Here in this room people no longer work
Inside every heart a poet does lurk
And in every word the poet may choose
Inspiration for others, they become a muse

Like music to ears, or moths to flame
The song of a soul makes another soul tame
With every moth the fire grows in size
Hoping to become as large as the skies

In each person there is a story to tell
Each story is unique; it comes from under the shell
Up at the mic, you just let loose like you don’t care
So when it is your turn what story will you share?

When writing this poem I started by setting up a scene. This scene is the café and community which are described as a welcoming place. In the next two stanzas I explain how everyone is a poet and as being a poet they inspire others. Since I was working in four lines per stanza and four stanzas I simply used my third stanza to describe the community from a different point of view. In a paper this might seem repetitive but in poetry it presents a new image and therefore a new story. In the final stanza I involve my audience by talking to them. As you can see in creating this poetry I worked in lines of two making sure that the ending words rhymed. Rhyming poetry seems elementary but it is effective in attracting the audience’s ear.

Assignment:
For your assignment look around the room you are in now. Each room has an purpose of its own, even if it is not the most important or obvious. For instance a classroom has the purpose to teach. Once you have found the room’s purpose write a poem with two parts. The first part should describe the room you are in and how you feel. The second part should describe the purpose of the room and how it goes about achieving it. Remember, your meanings don’t have to be blunt or direct as long as they are there. To make sure argument is present in your poetry write a short paragraph analyzing what you just wrote.