Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Mudra]

I was given this assignment to write a kind of a nonsense poem. It has twenty lines, and I must follow the recipe below:


Recipe Writing

1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five sense, either in succession or scattered randomly throughout the poem.
4. Use one example of synesthesia (mixing the senses--see the example in the lecture this week).
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
7. Change direction in the poem--digress from the last thing you said.
8. Use a word (slang?) that you've never heard in a poem before.
9. Use an example of false cause/effect logic.
10. Use a piece of "borrowed talk"; that is, eavesdrop on some people, write down a sentence or fragment of a sentence that they say (out of context--it's best if you don't know what they're talking about) and use it in the poem.
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction: "The (adjective) (concrete noun) of (abstract noun)..."
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual connotation.
13. Make the persona or characters in the poem do something he/she/they could not do in real life.
14. Refer to yourself in the third person and using a nickname.
15. Write in the future tense, such that part of the poem seems to be a prediction.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but ultimately makes no sense.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
19. Make a non-human object say or do something human. (Personify something.)
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no new statement, but "echoes" an image from earlier in the poem.



This is what I wrote. Can someone please check and see if I did it correctly? Thank you.



Recipe Writing

Travel

1.Shiny brass bed sails through multidimensional portal.

2.Nodding, to avoid paying fare.

3.Eyes turn of their light as hands hold pillow of reality. Soothing lullaby on radio, and aroma of clean sheets give security. Starchy taste of sleep envelops me.

4.I already taste the images.

5.Diana in New York City enjoys travel.

6.I paid the fare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

7.Reading a book is safer, and you can get them free at the library.

8.Kewl titles.

9.Reading made me forget the use of words.

10.It's fundamental, and half price.

11.Heavy book strict in its instructions becomes inflexible.

12.Pensive pen runs the race ending at bottom of the page.

13.Diana grows wings, and flies claiming it's the only way to travel.

14.Di, she always preferred flying.

15.Her wings will be matured, and ready for flight in the year 2030.

16.Feeling invisible pimple that grows in her mind.

17.I will stop touching them, and serve them coffee.

18. Esto esta loco en el coco.

19. Shiny brass bed standing on its front legs screams, "don't grow wings".

20. Diana in her new pink nightgown slips her slender legs inside the covers, and resting her head on her pillow prepares to travel.

[flaps]

what an interestin assignment! it really makes one creative

since it is supposed to be a poem (even a nonsense one) wouldn't it be better to add some peotic features? eg. rhyme

( portal... fare total.... image local..)

also adding some connectors such and, so,yet etc. would make the lines stick together I guess. Still these are my humble suggestions...

[Mudra]

Thank you for your suggestions.