I know there are a Bunch of other forms but in this shop we will be dealing with only three: Traditional rhyming, free verse and Haiku. This covers about 90% of all poetry written here i think. So let's start out by defining what each of these forms is. Anybody want to define traditional Rhyming?

Any body else want to add to this?

often the rhyming words are separated by more than just few lines and sometimes entire stanzas. also in order to be effective (memorable) rhyming should be accompanied by at least a modicum of rhythm.

we will now await others who haven't weighed in on definition of traditional rhyming poetry. but in the mean time let's each post a single stanza of rhyming poetry which we know from memory. I'll start off.see next comment

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood and I--
I took the road less travelled by.and that has made all the difference.

Everybody post a rhyming poem on stream. Try to keep it under 24 lines if you can. Poem can be one you wrote or one somebody else wrote but be sure to credit author if using another's poem. also put (spreading wings ) next to title.

So let's begin by posting what each of you think a good definition of free verse is. i think that the actual advent of free verse was due to people becoming bored with the restrictions inherent in rhyming verse. So just post your thoughts on free verse both definition and reason for it coming about here below.

Now we will dip our toes into free verse. We will each post a single stanza of free verse using alliteration. Let's do this within a 4-6 line stanza.I'll start

the raft rushed through the white water
ricocheting off the rocks
filling all with their own fear
of death

I am hopeful that this section of this workshop will result in participants writing free verse which is NOT chopped prose. It is my belief that the best poets are those who can write in all forms well as each form can reinforce the writing in other forms. Western classic requires discipline in thought and expression. It also requires foresight in what one writes. This is a good thing in free verse writing. Free verse allows a bit more freedom of expression which can be lost in the restrictions of western classic. It thus tends to set a rhymer free in their expression. Haiku and Senryu require conciseness in thought and expression. Lord knows My stuff could use a bit more of this lol. It is also great at capturing snippets of observations.
So now you know my evil intent HEH HEH HEH.I am hopeful that you and those who are just "auditing" this shop will abandon your favorite form once in a while. It is my firm belief it will make you better in writing your favorite form.

Another thing that separates chopped prose from good free verse is imagery. Often it is imagery which draws in a reader and puts them right beside the writer in the poem. Imagery can loosely be defined as describing what the reader sees, hears, smells or tastes. So in this exercise lets tank a plain paragraph and add some imagery to turn it into poetry. Here is the paragraph :
I was walking along one day.I saw a woman in the distance. As the clouds parted she was illuminated by the sun.

Please post your transformation here not on stream.

Walking down a lonesome country road
Mile from any house or home
On a day when storm clouds flee
as torn threads of blue become wider.
I look up and there I see
a sun spear illustrate the stage
in focus on a female form
which blinks on and then was gone.
I wonder was it real?
Then I get to where she was
and hear a field lark and
smell lavender.....

Now comes the fun part. i will assign each of you another's reming poem to turn into a Good free verse poem. Please post both the original rhyming poem on stream with the free verse below it. PS don't post until I assign you a poem and don't forget to put (stretching wings) next to title. Now for the first one..hmmm.....Geezer, please post Triskelion's rhyming poem converted to free verse. Everybody else feel free to continue the discussion while we wait.

Arrow, please post scribbler's rhyming poem converted to free verse. Post on stream with your conversion posted beneath the original and don't forget to put (stretching wings shop) beside title

I think everybody is getting bored. So while we await this exercise being completed let' everybody pull out a free verse poem they wrote themselves and post it on stream with the (spreading wings) thing next to title. These poems will be of use later

I'd like to hear back from ya'll whether I am moving the shop too slowly or quickly.

Geezer, please take Arrow's rhyming poem and turn it into good free verse. Be sure to post the original on stream with your free verse version below it and remember to put (spreading wings shop) next to title

Let's all post a poem which tells a tale (a narrative) on stream. Put the usual shop thing next to title and try to keep it under 24 lines. Any form you wish

PleaseTake Geezer's rhyming poem and change it to a free verse .Place his poem at top of page and put your free verse version below it and don't forget to put (stretching wings shop) next to title so all participants can find it easily

please take Triskelion's rhyming poem and change it to free verse.

Anybody want to give their definition of a Haiku?

One deals with nature, the other deals with people. The non-Haiku is a Senryu. There is one other thing about Haiku not yet covered............

Stretching wings workshop (rhyming exercise
a man thought he'd find some repose
boarding crows in his very large nose
but he's mad when they litter
for they don't have a shitter
he's bitter they shit on his toes
yes, his shoes are a mess
you could certainly guess
he’s depressed more or less and it shows
so it’s cleaned with a scraper
and wadded up paper
it's a caper of state that he knows
the offending affair
only lends to despair
people stare everywhere that he goes
he complains to the birds
"I AM COVERED IN TURDS!"
the poor man with the crows in his nose

I will post a free verse version later tonight

requirement for good Haiku?

own rhyming poem on stream with the usual (stretching wings) next to title . Please post the rhyming poem beneath the Haiku version

assignment as being the end of this shop. BUT I recently had an idea float into my empty head by which all the assignments could be tied together if ya'll are willing to endure another week or two of torture. Holler on this thread if you are willing........stan

which few people use heh, heh,heh

I developed a new form of poetry a while back in which the actual form of a poem gradually changes to fit the "mood" of the poem. The change ,ideally, is gradual enough to nearly be unnoticeable. Here is an example of such:

Widow's Retreat

At sixty years
the telephone
bringing bad news late at night

An accident
on his way home
mad dash to the hospital
....too late....

The daze
of death certificates
coffin choices
hushed sad voices
busy work
then finally

alone

For almost all her life
she's been a part of someone else
a teenage girlfriend
mother...
wife

Now the kids are grown and gone
as expected, as should be
but facing even one more day
or cold nights for eternity?

She maintains her brave fascade
rehearsed words and false cheer
while secretly she questions God
for putting her through such a trial

So inwardly her spirit drifts
to a place which she calls Avalon
where lovers never endure rifts
a place of warm eternal dawn

Where everyone stays seventeen
where tears of loss are never shed
where the leaves are always green
as on the day when they were wed

You'll often see her sitting there
as she travels in her rocking chair
eyes closed, a small smile on her face
to Avalon, her favorite place
We will be using this form but it will be expanded to a level I've not yet used before. But that comes later. Right now let's use either the rhyming poem you wrote and morph it to free verse or the free verse and let it morph to rhyme. As usual post on stream with (stretching wings, morphing exercise) next to title.

Let's all post a morphing form of the rhyming poems we posted. Be sure to put (morphing exercise) next to title

Due to comp problems I've been off line the last 3 days. I will try to catch up by sometime tomorrow. i Did see Trisk ask if there is a baseline for morphing poetry. Although there is No formal baseline the change should be gradual and never happen completely within a single stanza. If done well the change should be almost un-noticed.

while i catch up ya'll can go ahead and start thinking about a very concise introduction stanza for your morphing poem. DO NOT post it until I call on you

for the final exercise? So far we have gone over free verse, rhyming, Haiku and morphing. Now, of course the morphing covers free verse and rhyming. Now for the last exercise we are going to post the free verse and rhyming via a morphing poem but to begin the poem we will post an introductory haiku. You Do Not have to use any poems already posted in the shop unless you want to. This poem should be posted on stream with (workshop final exercise) next to title. Now let really bear down and make people wish they'd joined the shop lol..........stan

Everybody can proceed with posting if they are ready but there is no rush

perfectly. By giving me your feedback on what I could have done better and even if I did something right I can use this to make future shops better. So thanks in advance and post your critique below.....stan