Creative writing prompts for teens: Japanese wabi-sabi and nature poems

You may have  noticed that the past posts have deviated from the original intention of this blog which was to showcase my poetry and creative writing and to offer tips for aspiring writers. So, in an effort to make money from writing, I shared articles I'd written. Because poetry doesn't always pay the bills like NF.

So with that said, I'm planning to turn my focus back to the fine arts. I'm still poor and still need to make money so feel free to send large amounts. I jest. But I do promise not to cheapen the craft with the trade-writing. Sorry, to wax verbose but the moon is full and I felt a disclaimer was needed. So here's are helps for teen writers on Japanese poems using the art of wabi-sabi, just in time for April.

Why April? It's National Poetry Month. Some writers celebrate NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writer Month (an online poetry slam lollapalooza) . And what better month to celebrate poems than April with spring awakening, nature busting out all over and Earth Day nestled in? Want to join the poem-penning but don't know where to begin? Here are poetry writing prompts, story starters and word games I invented, to call forth your inner bard! Perfect for homeschooler parents, English and creative writing teachers.

Verse-adventure: Hands-down, there's no better poetry muse than mama
nature. Get outside and start your poem quest. Pack a bag with pen, paper, thesaurus and blanket. You could write on laptop or phone, but old school pen and paper are more conducive to getting poetry juices flowing. Quill and parchment would be best) Station yourself in a garden. Walk in the woods. Sit on the beach. Observe the elements: wind, sun, water. Notice the flora and fauna: trees, flowers, animals, land formations. Jot down sensory details--colors, sounds, smells, shapes. Check your thesaurus for new, fresh words to express ideas.

Japanese still life poem: In Japan, artists look for wabi-sabi or beauty in simplicity and imperfection. Artists focus on simple subjects: bonsai tree, a vase with a single flower, cherry blossom sprig or pussy willow frond. The artist uses pen or brush strokes to evoke the essence of the subject. Japanese poetry is similarly simple--haiku has 17 syllables in lines of 5, 7 and 5. Create a Japanese still life display. Explore all aspects. Using a few words, describe the item. Write a wabi-sabi haiku, tanka or cinquain. Here are printable directions from St. Jean Elementary). Or create a formless verse in your own style.

For more writing prompts, story starters and poetry templates, visit my blog www.freeprintablelessonplans.com. 

Anger Managment and Rage Therapy Through Journal Writing

We all feel angry from time to time. For some people, anger is chronic. For others, it's situational. I have found that writing provides therapy, release, detachment, and healthy coping strategies that have helped my manage anger issues. Too frustrated to put yourself into the discipline of writing? I understand. I felt that way at first, too. But after I discovered how therapeutic writing is for coping with anger, it became easier to use writing as an anger management technique.

Some of us live with angry people who would zap our entire energy reserve if we let them. Their anger is corrosive and debilitating. And not just to them, but also to those around them. I'll say that angry people who make no effort to control their rage, hurt loved ones far more than they hurt themselves. While the angry person vents the poison in his system, the loved ones, especially the spouse, attempts to diffuse and assuage the anger to protect her family from psychological harm. 

The innocent victims suck up the anger and absorb it. They don't get a chance to vent their anger because the angry one is too busy airing his venom. When the dam breaks on their anger, there is so much pent up that it seems ungovernable. And the non-angry sponge people end up feeling sick and guilty because anger is not their normal way of functioning.

So how does writing out your anger help? Several ways. Getting anger out of the body is cleansing. Repressed rage is destructive. Next, writing is a constructive rather than destructive force. Even if the words are angry, they don't wound and scar like angry spoken words and actions. Words can be kept safe and private in a journal. Words can be saved, pondered and discarded if after some time, the writer feels as though his words were too harsh. For those who publish their writing, however, it's advisable to ponder words written in anger before publishing.

Writing is a shared experience; it can build bridges and bonds. When I am angry, I write to others who may be experiencing what I'm feeling. Sometimes I write to give advice and sometimes I just write to access the feelings and neutralize them. I feel better after some emotional purging. I feel better knowing that my shared experience may encourage others to find healthy, creative ways to express their anger. I don't write out my anger to dump on others, but to find solace for myself and others. 'Sorrow shared is sorrow halved'. 

How to Write Japanese Haiku Poems

Haiku poems are more than just 17 syllables in three lines of 5-7-5 syllabication. Many styles of Japanese poetry rely on syllable count to establish poem structure, similar to the Greek iambic or "feet" (or meter) poems. Notable are the iambic pentameter poems, composed of five lines with ten syllables each. Haiku and senryu are structured on "mora" or "on" which are similar to syllables, but not an exact correlation. "On" in Haiku and Senryu is similar to iambic feet, which are patterns of stressed and unstressed syllables. Thus haiku are cadence (rhythm) poems vs. rhyme poems, but the similarity of western poetry ends there. Use this guide to teach haiku writing or to write your own. 

Haiku are essentially nature poems and rather aesthetic. Haiku contain kireji (cutting word) and kigo (seasonal word). A true haiku contains a mood or tone shift and the kireji is the cut-off between moods. Kireji words shift the tone. As haiku is a Japanese form of poetry, the words don't translate absolutely, nor even sometimes partially to other languages. In haiku written in English for example to cutting word will depend upon the original thought expressed in the poem. Kigo would be any word referring to season or nature, often a specific plant or animal.

In Miyoshi's haiku

In storm-tossed grassland,

one leaf, one praying mantis,

tremble together.'

we see and feel the shift. Normally leaf is eaten by praying mantis. In a storm they are united against the wind, one clinging to the other for support, no longer predator and prey. Without a knowledge of Japanese, I can only guess at the kireji, but I'm thinking that it would be 'together'. The kigo are the leaf, mantis and possibly even storm. The tone doesn't come full circle and it may not be a diametric opposite, as with the praying mantis and leaf, but there is a shift in focus. Here's another well-known Haiku

Red dragonfly on

my shoulder calls me his friend.

 Autumn has arrived'

The shift here is from summer to fall. And haiku like so many aspects of Japanese life, focuses on the simple contemplation of one idea. Japanese art, floral arrangement, gardens, architecture and food reflect simplicity and purity. Haiku distill a multitude of words and thoughts into one essential verse.

When writing haiku, focus on nature and especially seasonal topics. Work that shift into the poem. To explore senryu, please see my article, Haiku vs. Senryu: Nature vs. Nurture. 

Editorial, Commentary, Persuasive Speech Writing Sample

This begins an article I wrote for Yahoo! News. I have written in in the form of an editorial, commentary or persuasive speech. It might also be used as an essay example. It begins: "Ask anyone age 40 if they remember seeing so many obese children and overweight teenagers. The answer will be a resounding no. Juvenile obesity is the fastest growing health issue in America, as well it should be. America is killing children, one mouthful at a time. In the U.S., we are literally poisoning children, with every bite we feed them." To read more, click here...

Free Verse Poetry Writing Guide

Poetry Wrting Guide: How to Write Free Verse Poetry
Poetry gives voice to the soul. Writing poetry is like singing; it should flow from the spirit. Unlike tangible things, poetry is not so easy to dissect, critique or explain. There are some devices that poets employ to create poems.
Read More

How to Earn Money Writing and Blogging With Google Adsense

How to Maximize Your Google Adsense Earnings on Niche Blogs
Do you write and/or blog to earn money? Then you need this handy guide to making money on your blogs with Google Adsense. Increase page views and earn when readers click on ads.
Read More

Reviews of Online Writing Companies

Comparison of Online Content Companies and Why I like Associated Content Best
You're making your genesis into the publishing world. Let me be the first to welcome you. Here are websites that you can explore. I recommend checking out each site. See which fit your tastes and style. Here are my experiences.
Read More

How to Write Parody and Satire

How to Write Satire or Parody
To parody someone or something is to exaggerate their foibles and mannerisms and exploit them for the purpose of comedy. Parody in literature is called satire. How-to guide to understand the genre of satire and write in parody.
Read on...

Warning Poem: Coming-of-Age and Youth

National Poetry Month: 'When I Am Old, I Shall Wear Purple...'
'Warning', by Jenny Joseph isn't just the Red Hat Society's poem. 'Warning' says that we are persons of individuality. 'Warning' is a coming-of-age poem for those who missed or misplaced the joys of youth and originality. This is my commentary on growing older. Use Warning as an inspiration for your own coming-of-age, self-awareness poems. Read on..

Spring Nature Poetry for Earth Day

Free Poety Lessons: Spring Nature Poems
April is National Poetry Month. Poetry is the perfect venue to express the joy of spring. And spring it the ideal subject for poems! Get the young and old outside to explore, enjoy and write!
Read more...