Thursday, November 8, 2018

Kerry Says ~ How Does the Story End?

A REAL TOAD QUIZ!

Can you identify the poem by its last line?

1. "And - which is more - you'll be a man, my son!"
2. "Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know."
3. "And thus they buried Hector, tamer of horses."
4. "So long lives this and this gives life to thee."
5. "sun moon stars rain"

A. anyone lived in a pretty how town - e.e. cummings
B. Iliad - Homer
C. Ode on a Grecian Urn - John Keats
D. Sonnet 18 - William Shakespeare
E. If - Rudyard Kipling

I am sure you all got 5/5... Gold Stars all round!!🌟

Nothing Gold Can Stay by Robert Frost
Where title is the final line of the poem.

Often, the hardest part of writing a poem, is the creation of a memorable final line. The value of a strong conclusion is evident, but sometimes it is also elusive, and a poem with a great opening line, fades away at the end, or just comes to a dead stop.

Here are five helpful tips I picked up while browsing a few articles online.

1. Write your last line first. This creates suspense, and is a hook with a thread attached to the theme you will explore in the remainder of the poem. You can circle back to the first line at the end, if you wish, or rephrase it in such a way that it reverberates with the central idea.

2. Ask a question. This involves the audience more actively in the reading process. It also suggests that the poem does not end at that point, it continues in the imagination of the reader, who will ponder the theme more closely.

3. Create a dichotomy. End your poem with a line that contradicts or contrasts, the body of the poem, in mood, tone or imagery. This can create a lot of impact in the reader's mind.

4. Use your title as leverage. The title of your poem is a clue to its subject. Save the reveal for the final line.

5. Choose your best line and repeat it at the end. Repetition is an integral part of poetry. By repeating an essential phrase or line at the end, you reinforce the main idea of your poem.

The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot


For today's challenge, please select one of the above suggestions and write a new poem with a killer last line.

  


14 comments:

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Loved the prompt, Kerry!💞 I chose to execute no 5 😊 i.e. choose your best line and repeat it at the end. I am really excited to read all the responses. Happy Thursday everyone!💞☕

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Great points to ponder, Kerry. Am in a low energy slump, but will stir the sludge and see what happens. Smiles.

Jim said...

Thanks for this lesson in five, Kerry. Also a reminder. I try for an interesting take, sometimes putting a hook on mine or compliment or repeat the beginning. Senryu and limericks rely on the last line. My Tuesday "November Poem" last line was trying to gently set the reader's stage for December's arrival.
I will try today one of your picks, possibly while waiting with Mrs. Jim at her doctor's office. She's four weeks into bunion surgery recovery.
..

Anonymous said...

thanks for hosting Kerry :)

this is a wonderful prompt - great ideas to hold in mind, when creating - or to perk up one's "writing slump" --- reminders of what some devices can do when one is hard at work crafting ...

I'm looking forward to the responses ... popping in and out the next few days :)

Kim M. Russell said...

I enjoyed this prompt, Kerry, and will keep the five tips on my desk for future reference!

Kerry O'Connor said...

How wonderful to see poets going full steam ahead.. leaving me behind. i may only get to it tomorrow.. exam time at high school is sapping all my creativity. So many scripts to assess.

Now I'm taking a break to read all your poems!!

Kerry O'Connor said...

I am blown away by what I have read this evening.. I'll be back tomorrow to read more.
Thank you.

tonispencer said...

Thank you for this prompt, the quiz, and the suggestions. The poems so far are amazing.

brudberg said...

Oh I will have to write to this prompt... and yes I agree the end line(s) are always so memorable, the dichotomy made me think of the volta in sonnets... where the last line can be solution... also made me think of a conceit, where the mystery of the poem is revealed in the last line.

brudberg said...

Added a short one after the shooting...

Susie Clevenger said...

Thanks for the prompt Kerry! I was searching through photos for inspiration and a photo of Marlene Dietrich is often my muse for sass. So you can thank her. lol

Margaret said...

Late the the game but I have finally caught up with the work after coming back from my week long trip - but now I just need to catch up on sleep! :) Thanks for this great prompt

Linda Lee Lyberg said...

Hello Kerry- it's Saturday, so I am a bit late to the party. I chose to write a Pantoum for this prompt. A fabulous prompt, by the way!

Fireblossom said...

Shawna's blog is gone already. Of course it is.