Monday, May 26, 2014

Writing a List Poem Based on "A Note"


Beginning with "Life is the only way," write your own list poem using "A Note" as a model. Your poem must use the same (with minor variations) number of words and structure as Szymborska's. Use what you learned this week to compose a stronger poem.
Try to find a rhythm to the words you choose (note the number of syllables as well as the number of words). Be careful to punctuate exactly the same way and be aware of how the poet has used punctuation to divide and compare ideas. Post a copy of your poem to the blog before coming to Wednesday's class.
Be prepared to do a recital of your poem (please practice ahead of time!) and speak for one to two minutes on the process you followed and any difficulties you experienced.  Marks will be assigned as follows: quality of poem—50%; recital—25%; remarks on process—25%.

NOTE: Check your formatting carefully after copy and pasting poem. You'll need to add spacing. Try to have your poem look exactly the same as the original handout if you can!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

A Note

Life is the only way
to stand under the cloud,
catch your glance in the lake,
fly on happiness;

to be a bird,
or prey under the ground;

to tell love
from everything it's not;

to have odd chances,
twisted in views,
to seek the most impossible answer.

An amazing chance
to stay in the place,
a fearless stand
with the eyes shut off;

and if only once
to stumble on the cloud,
end up drenched or a wing broken,

lose yourself from love;
and to remember with the regret in your eyes;

and to keep of not having
smooth flight.

Brad said...

Please Note

Life is the only way
to hold dirt in your hands,
breathe sea air on the wind,
sing in joy;

to smell rose scent,
or take one back home;

to find friends
in every place you go;

to gaze on high mountains,
stay home all day,
to seek the least travelled of paths.

An extraordinary chance
to consider fortune or fate,
one decision made
with no light as a guide;

and if only once
to fail on an exam,
not know when the worst hurting will end,

receive your love much too late;
and to remember a dream in an old man’s eyes;

and to still be not thinking
tomorrow is sure.

—May 2014; 7th version by Brad Hyde

Amy said...

The Weekly Note

Life is the only way
to bike along Seawall,
enjoy the giggled laughs,
share this gift;

to be a cat,
or adore its cuddles;

to tell jokes
from the humors beneath;

to be a chef at home ,
to plan for future,
to balance life and seek for opportunities.

An extraordinary chance
to remember for a moment,
see the hat tricks once in a
while on the rinks;

and if only once
lost on the busy highways,
end up finding the destiny,

discover the simple thing;
sleep in when the rain falls like in a forest;

and to keep on believing
the happiness is here.

Betty Lau said...

A Note to Old Classmates
  
Life is the only way
to grow friendship on grounds,
have a chat in the class,
hit out sparks;
  
to be a bird,
or admire its flying wings;
  
to search roots
from everything it's not;
  
to wish upon a star,
nestle in night,
to do the best in all possible efforts.
  
An extraordinary chance
to remember a moment,
a companionship found
with the wind gone by;
   
and if only once
to stumble on a lie,
end up followed by the truth or another,

lose your passion on aging;
and to whisper a song in the rain with your heart;
   
and to keep on not seeking
something surprising.

Unknown said...

A NOTE

Life is the only way
to cheer success with friends,
build your house toward the sea,
sing with birds;

to be an eagle,
or miss its sharp eyes;

to know sweet
from everyone who smiles;

to stand behind walls,
sit in shades,
to open the deepest of all sensitive emotions.

An unexpected date
to remember for ever,
a window opened
when the door closed off;

and if only once
to fight against a challenge,
take fate by the throat with all courage,

release your masks on the ground;
and to follow a voice in your heart without any delay;

and to keep on not trusting
something incredible.

Unknown said...

Life is the only way
to laugh till you cry,
gaze up at a starry night,
dive in deep;

to be cat,
or love it beyond words;

to know love
from something its not;

to notice all beauty,
dazed and confused,
to see the lessons life can bring.

an extraordinary reason
to remember for a moment,
an embrace ever lasting
from someone I truly adore;

and if only once
to fall so damn hard,
end completely lost with in one another,

miss the love I once had;
and to go without is painful to live with;

but keep on believing
something undeniable.

Unknown said...

Just A Note

Life is the only way
To get hugs and loves,
Smile as much as you want,
Dance on edge;

To be a rabbit,
Or cuddle its white fur;

To tell love
From everything it's not;

To indoor gladness events,
Laughter of jokes,
To see the note of all possible mistakes.

An extraordinary chance
To memorize an advice,
A conversation held
With all hope and love;

And if only once,
To ignore the bad thoughts,
End up glad but detach goodness from deficient,

Lost your fear in the battle;
And to look strong in the wind with a flam of hope;

And to keep on not losing
Something principle.

Unknown said...

A Note

Life is the only way
to move into the future,
imprint yourself on others,
live for goals;

to be a king,
or be done in by Damocles;

to see pain
for everything it is;

to worm into resistance,
mold from within,
to see the best of your choices.

A stroke of magicians luck
to bend the world to your will,
a contract made
with a immortal witch;

and if only once
to fall upon disaster
end up crushed by one misfortune or another,

leave your conscience behind;
and to dream of a world that belongs to you

and to keep on striving for
something better.

– Cam Urquhart; May 29 2014

penina tran said...

"A note to myself"

Life is the only way
to lay on the beach,
feel the breeze beneath your hair,
relieve the stress;

to be a bird,
or spread wings to fly away;

to know freedom
lies only in yourself;

to experience new beginnings,
forget the old,
to seek for the future that is infinite.

An extraordinary feeling
to remember for a moment,
all the struggles
you overcome from many years ago;

and if only once
to take one step back,
end of confused by one outlook or another,

enjoy these years while you can;
and to cherish all the fondest memories that you made;
and to keep on noticing in
something wonderful.

Unknown said...

A Note of Youth

Life is the only way
To sit around a campfire,
Laugh aloud with a friend,
Sing a song;

To be a cat,
Or play like it does;

To run fast
From every starting line;

To push pedals hard,
Enjoy the view,
To glide free downward on infinite horizons.

An extraordinary way
To look at old pictures,
A bunch of candles and young pimpled faces;

And if only once
To steal for love,
End up caught in a mischievous action,

Run your car out of gas;
And to express a wish while giving the first kiss;

And keep your promise important
Whatever that is.

Unknown said...

A Note
-The butterfly lover

Life is the only way
to get engaged in books,
chase your figure among the words,
meet in dreams;

to be your bride,
or mate your lone soul;

to wail bane
from everything it’s not;

to rebel against the feudal,
follow in rules,
to notch the most of all possible fortunes.

An unforgettable chance
to remember for a moment
a farewell parted
on the bridge spanned away;

and if only once
to stay with you,
end up plunged into underworld or another,

muddle the token in six miles;
and to flash a spark on the storm with your wings;

and to keep on not leaving
anything compromised.

Chelsea Kim said...

A Note for Runner

Life is the only way
to run through the rain,
to feel the softness of the earth,
jog with breeze;

to be a winner,
or find middle ground;

to know myself
from every possible things;

to listen my heartbeat,
thanks to my body,
to seek the best guide heading for a goal.

An extraordinary time
to remember for a moment,
at the finish line
after a fierce fight with my self;

and if only once
to drag aching legs,
end up failed by untied shoe lace or another,

lost your reason why you run;
and to receive a precious message from running;

and to keep on reaching
next destination of life.

Unknown said...

A Note of Moods

Life is the only way
to dance in the warm sun,
feel the breeze on your face,
touch the sky;

to be unique,
or lost in a crowd;

to have fun
with those who love you;

to enjoy silent solitude,
close your eyes,
to dream about what you will achieve.

A spectacular moment
to recall for a second
a success earned
that you hadn’t expected;

and if only once
to walk through the past,
end up not trusting in your own strengths,

forget the simplest tasks;
and to give in to the darkness without hope;

or to keep on creating
something magical.

Unknown said...

Delshad Amini

A Note to Myself

Life is the only way
to write a poem at night ,
ride your bike on the roads ,
fly as a kite ;

to be a painter ,
or a portrait in his mind ;

to grab a kiss
from every lips you miss ;

to live in peace and peace ,
capture the beauties ,
to do the best in all possible duties .

An extraordinary scene
to remember when we were teen ,
and our dreams
which are gone with the wind ;

and if only once
to fall from a horse ,
end up wounded by one tumble or another ,

lose your compass in the sea ;
and to follow a comet in the sky with your eyes ;

and to keep on believing
something unreachable .



Unknown said...

Senses


Life is the only way
to smell air before raining,
catch perfumes of your first love,
sniff at the sea;

to watch stars,
or be one of them in some eyes;

to hear music
from every sounds in the world;

to taste an ice-cream,
smack a love kiss,
to know the bitter of vine through its sweetness.

An extraordinary chance
to feel your kids' warmth
or be happy just
touching their little hands;

and if only once
to give way to despair,
end up on the border of Life almost freezing,

to get warm again due to Love;
and to discover the sixth sense by feeling anything new;

and to keep of not knowing
all things make a sense.

Unknown said...

A Note Of My Life
Life is the only way
to create my bright future,
struggle to get work done in the late night,
relieved at success;

to be the sun,
or shine itself to the world.

to pour out helplessness
From everything it’s not;

to meet new people,
make new friends,
to seek the valuable connections of all relationships.

An extraordinary moment
to remember for a time,
a child who was ignorant had wasted a lot of time;

and if only once
to bump into setbacks,
end up soaked in depression and anger,

bear my frustration;
and to focus on my present, plan my future with my own hands;

and to keep on fighting
something worthy.

Unknown said...

A Police officer’s note

Life is the only way
to save unlimited lives,
get up three in the morning,
make ultimate sacrifice;

to be a cop,
or make a big difference;

to make sirens
seem like singing angels;

to go to work,
risk my life,
a duty I die for your safety.

An extra ordinary moment
to make myself,
work day and night
with the skip of no holiday;

and if only once
to fear risking my life,
make sure that policing is not an easy duty,

lose your passion in the field;
and to keep back the chaos everyday;
and to keep on not solving
something difficult.


Mateen Aminie

Unknown said...

A Note for Change


Life is the only way
To look into one's soul,
Find a dash of good hope,
See true self;

To be set free,
Or be caught once more;

To find strength,
From my weakest weakness,

To ponder over thoughts,
Searching for signs,
To improve myself into someone better.

A wonderful coincidence
To have discovered myself,
My conscious soaring
For a chance to win;

And if only once
To truly search for truths,
Before it is hidden from my inner self,

The best things lost in secret;
And to bring what's lost in a blink of an eye;

And to keep on having faith
Within improvements.

Unknown said...

A Vancouver Note

Life is the only way to write a poem in May, just another rainy day, to sleep in;
to enjoy the sun, hardly in Vancouver;
to hear lies and just let it go by;
to pray for sunny days, or find other ways, to stay home and lay down all day.
An extraordinary chance to hear the weather guy, tell us the weather for advance then find out it was a lie;
and if only once to enjoy the sun, and not to worry about anything,
keep all of your winter clothes; and to remember your still in Vancouver;
and always be prepare cause life’s unfair.

Unknown said...

A Note

Life is the only way
to get your hands dirty,
doing something you love,
stand up tall;

to be a cloud,
or watch them float away;

to find hope
from everything it's not;

to kiss the ones you love,
under the stars,
to learn from all your heart breaks and accomplishments.

An unpredictable chance
to a life changing moment
that is overwhelming
with each step you take;

and if only once
to stumble upon a glass,
end up really sharp and broken,

collapse your body on a bed;
and begin your goodnight dreams;
and to keep on learning
something brand new