This week’s poetry exploration includes visiting a park, closely observing flowers, using simile and playing with your imagination.  Poets of each century determine their own definition of what a poem should be.  For this poem, poetry is more than just writing down words.  Poetry is the intersection of observation, action and imagination. 

Similes for Colour

The first observation that we usually make of a flower is its colour.  This seems quite natural since we depend so much on our eyes to understand the world.  Since colour is such an ordinary observation in our daily lives, try to make it extraordinary by describing it in an original way.  To prepare for going to the park and looking at real flowers, first get some “colour practice” at home.  Try describing colour by using a simile, which means making a simple comparison between two things.  For example, “As red as blood,” “As green as a cat’s eyes,” or “As white as a full moon.”  These comparisons make poetry more colourful and interesting.  Write a sample for each of the colours below. 

Blue…                                                             Violet…

Pink…                                                             Orange…

Yellow…                                                         Silver…

Black…                                                           Brown…

Similes for Smell

Flowers are known and loved for their unique smells.  Your poem too can have a unique “aroma” by using simile to describe the smell of a flower.  Before jumping on the Skytrain and hurrying to the park, look at the following examples:  “As sweet as spring,” “As mild as milk,” and “As fresh as your first kiss.”  These comparisons make poetry more original.  Write your own comparisons for each of these smells.  You can make your similes funny, serious, or natural, depending on your own poetic values.

Sweet…                                                           Sour…

Fresh…                                                            Wild…

Gentle…                                                          Bitter…

Rotten…                                                          Spicy…

Visit the Park

This step of poetry requires action.  Break the routine of your day and visit a public park.  REALLY visit a park and wander around looking for a flower or a flowering bush that attracts your attention.  Sit down near the flowers and relax until you’re ready to begin writing your poem.  This is a project to be done patiently and leisurely, so take your time and enjoy the park.  You will soon see that nature, relaxation and breaking your routine are all part of the poetry process.

Focus your Eyes

What colour is the flower that you have chosen?  Can you describe the colour in a beautiful way?  Look at your list of colour similes and see if you have a suitable description for your chosen flower.  You can revise one of your colour similes from the exercise above, or write a new description of the colour based on real observation at the park.

Touch the Flower to your Nose

The flower may have a strong scent, or seem to have no scent at all.  Breathe in deeply and calmly until the scent of the flower fills your thoughts.  Concentrate your mind and your nose until you discover the words to describe the smell.  Consult your list of smell similes and see if you have a suitable description for this flower.  Compare your observations of the flower in the park with the similes that you wrote earlier.  Combine your practice similes with your real observations to create the most interesting lines of poetry.

Select a Leaf

Pick up a fallen leaf or petal from the bush.  Touch it very carefully and make observations as diligently as a palm reader would read a fortune.  Close your eyes and feel the edge of the leaf or petal.  Read the lines and sense the texture in close detail.  Make a list of eight words that describe the feelings in your fingers such as rough, crunchy, old man’s hand, baby’s cheek, etc.

1.  Tough…                                                                  5.  Smooth…

2.  Wrinkled…                                                             6.  Bumpy…

3.  Sharp…                                                                  7.

4.                                                                                 8.

Imagine how the Flower Began

So far, your poem includes simile, action and observation.  The next step is to use your imagination to describe the flower's childhood and tell its life story as it grew up.  Was the flower planted there by hand, or by fate?  Was it watered by a gardener or by the luck of the rain?  How long has the flower been growing? 

What would be a suitable name for it? 

To complete your poem, assemble each of the steps in this exercise.  Choose your best descriptions and match them with ideas from your imagination. 

The Finished Poem