This document provides ideas and instructions for different poetry writing workshops and exercises, including defining poetry, speed writing without editing, writing about personal topics, creating list poems, word association poems, and parody poems. Participants are encouraged to not worry about spelling, punctuation or perfection and to just keep writing without judging their ideas. Various sample poems are provided as examples for different styles and techniques.

1. Workshop Ideas
with Jeni Mawter

2. What is a poem?
Poetry is about sharing
an experience, idea or
feeling.
Poems are written with
words chosen for their
sound and beauty as well
as their meaning.

3. Speed Writing
 Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, grammar or
handwriting.
 Keep your hand moving.
 Don't cross out.
 Lose control.
 Go for the jugular.
 Don't think. Don't get logical.

4. Speed Writing
Remember …
 You can’t get this wrong.
 Silence your voices of doubt.
 Any thought is a good thought.

5. Hot Tip 1
Write first about the things closest to you —
 yourself
 your family
 friends
 pets.

6. A List Poem
 the writer is telling you something
 There’s a beginning and an end, like in a story
 The list is arranged so it is pleasing to the ear and eye.

7. ‘What Bugs Me’ poem
When someone is always complaining.
When there’s no bread to make toast.
When I can only find one shoe.
When the alarm doesn’t go off.
When the kids fight.
When someone is late for dinner.
When I lose my keys.

8. ‘I Can’t Write a Poem’
I can’t write a poem.
It’s dumb.
I can’t rhyme.
My head is empty.
I don’t know what to write.
I hate poetry.
I can’t write a poem.

9. An Apology Poem
To My Mother
I am sorry
for laughing
when your tooth fell out
and you looked
like a witch.
And for making
You stick it
Back on your plate
with bubblegum .
Even when
I gave you
the super-glue
I was bubbling
inside.

10. Word Associations
Red roses True story
Red face True lies
Red sunburn True false
Red angry True to you

11. Word Associations
Write a list of associations for each word.
happy soft tall sleepy

12. Leapfrog Poems
Swimming pool
pool cold Bus stop
cold toes stop that
toes blue that cat
blue lips cat splat
lips shiver

13. Hot Tip 2
Don't worry about trying to make your poem rhyme.

14. Rhyme
William Shakespeare’s rule …
When you write something serious do not use rhyme,
but if you want to make people laugh use rhyme.
Free verse is a poem that does not rhyme.
Unscramble the letters to find a type of poem that rhymes.
RICE MILK

15. Parody
Take a well-known poem and make fun of it.
Jeni Mawter having fun with haiku ...
My tummy grumbles When teacher enters
Echo throughout the Scurrying and hurrying
classroom Bottoms land on seats.
Feed me. Feed me. Now!

16. Parody
Nursery rhymes are fun to parody
Little Miss Tuckett sat on a bucket,
eating some peaches and cream.
There came a grasshopper which tried hard to stop her,
but she said, ‘Rack off or I’ll scream.’

17. .
Parody Exercise
Choose from the list and write a parody poem.
 Three little kittens  Humpty Dumpty
 Three blind mice  Georgie Porgie
 This little piggy  Baa baa black sheep
 Jack and Jill  Ding dong dell

18. Hot Tip 3
Don't expect to get your poem right the first time.

19. Questions http://literatureliveoz.blogspot.com
www.jenimawter.com