Instructions:

(1) Write two haiku. Haiku have a meter of 5-7-5 syllables. They emphasize multi-sensory images and try to give us an insight on our relationship with the natural world. See Chap. 5 for more information. See also the "Haiku Handout" posted on MyHeritage with examples of Japanese and American haiku.

(2) Write two closed form poems (sonnet, limerick, ballad/hymn, acrostic, etc.) A closed form poem follows a pre-set pattern such as a rime and rhythm scheme or spelling out a word with the first letters; it may have a standard theme or subject as well.

(3) Write two open form poems. An open form poem uses sound devices but does not have a pre-set rime or meter (though it may create a new one). The subject could be anything.

(4) Write one non-lyrical poem. (You could combine this with one of the previous two assignments.) Other forms of poetry include didactic (teaching or mnemonic), imagistic (sensory impressions like Dickinson's "The Hummingbird"), and narrative (story-telling) poems.