It is true that promotional pens make excellent giveaways for exhibitions, mails shots and, well anywhere really. Putting your name, logo and details on corporate plastic pens will help drive home your message and get your key customers thinking about you. Executive gift pens, however, are a different kettle of fish altogether. Gift pens are usually given to your customers or top employees in person and they are made for maximum impact. When you give your key customers or employees a good quality executive pen, you expect them to keep if for a long time and even come back to your for ink refills. Giving a branded luxury pen, whether it be mid range of top of the range will be appreciated by the receiver and demonstrate that they are important to you. If you have ever thought about promotional gift pens for Christmas, then read on... Here are the five best selling gift pens year in and year out!
1. Parker Pens: Regardless of your budget, you should be able to find a Parker gift pen that is affordable. From the most popular and for that matter least expensive Parkers like the Jotter and the Vector Rollerball right up to the high end Parkers like the Sonnet and Frontier they all make spectacular Christmas gifts. All Parker pens come supplied in a branded presentation gift box or tube. That is a great bonus on the presentation side!
2. Cross Pens: Cross, like Parker is a very much sought after and loved brand. Everyone knows the Cross brand for its high quality writing instruments. Most can be engraved and or printed depending on the finish. Cross offers a few starter pens that are not expensive such as the chrome finish Cross Century and the Cross Aventura. The Cross century is also available in 21ct gold but it is substantially more expensive. Have a look around on the net at these excellent gift pens.
3. Lamy Pens: A personal favourite, Lamy is a little know brand name pen. You can find many of their top quality pens at most good UK, European and US stationery shops. The German made pens have become a lot more popular in recent years due to the efforts of Senator Pens, a key player in the promotional pens market, promoting and distributing Lamy Pens. Lamy's most popular pens are the Lamy 2000 and the Lamy Pico. All good business gift suppliers can supply Lamy pens.
4. Senator Pens: Senator Pens is a very popular brand name in the lower end and mid range plastic promotional pens market. They are lesser known for their metal gift pens but do not let that stop you from checking out these truly quality pens. They all feature large capacity refills and new refill are easily purchased from any good business gift supplier almost anywhere the UK, Europe and US. A couple of their up and coming starter mid range pens that you may find fit your requirements perfectly are the Venectia Chrome Ballpen or Rollerball.. These are also available in a gift set including a Senator luxury pen case. At the higher end of their range is the Senator Presedent Fountain pen with 18 carat gold trim. Give the Senator Pen website a visit to see their whole range.
5. Rotring Pens: Another German manufacture that supplies inexpensive metal gift pens. Rotring pens are not supplied in gift boxes as standard but they can supply their pens boxed at additional cost and they look fantastic. Rotring pens that should be viewed are the Rotring Madrid ballpen, Dubai ballpen and the Tikki ballpen for economical but impressive Christmas promotions.
It is worth noting that gift pens look much better when presented in a gift box. If the pen you find does not come boxed as standard, either find one that does or spend a little extra and have them supplied boxed. Gift boxes do not need to be expensive to look great. Remember a large part of the gift is the presentation.
Promotional Pens For Christmas Anyone? A List of 5 of the Best Gift Pens This Christmas 10cc Silly Love Tube. Duration : 2.52 Mins.People don't write too much as before, not to mention writing with fountain pens. But I believe that some of us still like the special writing experience with fountain pens instead of repeatedly clicking on the keyboard. If you have such a boyfriend or dad who likes writing, fountain pens are the best Christmas gifts for him.
It can be a difficult process to find the best gifts for men if you do not know too much about their interest. To find proper Christmas gifts for him is that you are familiar with the man to whom you are going to send the gift.
If he likes outdoor sports, a pair of Ray ban sunglasses or a NBA jersey may be the best gift to offer great eye or skin protection. If he likes to stay at home to read and write, a fountain pen may be suggested as the most appropriate gift for him.
You know a gift doesn't have to be too expensive or too special, but sometimes by choosing a gift like a Parker fountain pen which shows that you care about him and his interest, he can be quite impressed. What make life more wonderful are sometimes just these little details.
By having Black Matte finish overlaid with several coats of rich black lacquer, Parker sonnet pens produce a silky smooth feel. Apart from the unmatched quality and writing experience, they are comfortable to hold and beautiful in design. The nibs are plated with gold or have 23kt nibs, which give them a spectacular appearance and performance. Choosing such fountain pens as gifts for men this Christmas is not that creative but they seem to be quite appropriate and practical gifts.
Thus, there is no need to worry about the inappropriateness by choosing Parker pens as Christmas gifts for men, because they have gorgeous design as well as high performance. As a matter of fact, such gifts may be the best Christmas gifts for men especially when they are wrapped in delicately designed gift boxes and wrapping paper.
Best Christmas Gifts for Men - Parker Fountain Pen a sonnet for andymcgaffigan Video Clips. Duration : 0.63 Mins.The problem with all screenplay books is that they are mostly written by people who have either not written a single screenplay themselves or could not sell any of the ones they've written.
I do not know of too many successful screenwriters who also write books describing how to do it. They probably do not have the time to do both.
Having said that, I still think we are blessed for all the great variety of screenwriting books that float around. I probably own at least thirty of them in my own private library. They are inspirational and some of them hit certain things right on the head as well.
"How To Write a Movie in 21 Days," by Viki King is an old classic. It is highly practical, detailed and inspirational. And also just scratches the surface of the great art of screenwriting.
As the book's title suggests, King claims she can teach you how to write a screenplay in just 3 weeks if you've got the gist of it in your heart and mind.
The structure she proposes and her detailed instructions on how to write pages 1, 3, 10, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, and 120 of your script can lead the newbie writers in the right direction.
Here are some of the issues that King also addresses in her well-known book:
How to clarify the idea you don;t quite have yet?
How to tell if your idea is really a movie?
How to move from what you want to say to saying it?
How to stop getting ready and start?
How to pay the rent while paying your dues?
How to keep going when you think you can't?
If you like movies and screen writing, I'd certainly encourage you to get a copy the "21 Days" and read it cover to cover. You'll forget most of it by the time you sit before your keyboard and stare at that empty screen. But the stuff that you remember might still benefit you and your great in more ways than one.
Movie Book Review - "How To Write a Movie in 21 Days- The Inner Movie Method," by Viki King A Fitting Theme, an Original Sonnet Video Clips. Duration : 0.62 Mins.A synopsis is a brief summary of your book written in the present tense which is submitted along with sample chapters and covering letter to agents or publishers. Sounds simple right?
Yeah right! This dire task has driven authors to the brink of madness. I mean, how are you supposed to condense your subtle, intricate, insightful manuscript to a mere couple of pages? And moreover how can such a brief summary persuade an agent or editor that your book is the new literary masterpiece or bestselling blockbuster they've been looking for?
Fear not; help is at hand. Firstly don't panic! If your manuscript is really that good then you'll probably be forgiven for a less than perfect synopsis as long as you don't make a total hog's supper of it. Here are a few basic rules about what to include and even more importantly, what not to include in your synopsis.
What to include:
A short description (around twenty to thirty words) saying what your story is essentially about e.g. "Science student Victor Frankenstein creates life from inanimate material but his creation turns into a monster which sets about destroying everything he loves." or "Young governess Jane Eyre falls in love with her dark brooding employer but when she discovers his terrible secret she must decide whether to stay or leave." An introduction to your main characters conflicts e.g. "Mr Darcy's attraction to lively, witty Elizabeth Bennett grows despite his serious reservations about what he regards as her inferior family connections." Setting - especially if this is vital to your story. Does the action takes place in an eighteenth century English country mansion, a Baghdad slum, or an intergalactic spaceship? Put it down. The basic plot including ending. Don't be coy about giving away the latter. If your heroine gets married and lives happily ever after, throws herself in front of a train in despair, or realises she's gay and runs off with the hero's sister, your agent and editor will want to know. Who your book would appeal to. And be realistic. Don't say "everyone". Mills and Boon romances are unlikely to be read by young male Goths, and vicious crime stories of rape, murder and mutilation are mostly enjoyed by well, um, women actually, especially little old ladies, so do your research. Note: It's important for non-fiction that all of the above is woven into a seamless narrative. No lists.
What to leave out:
Detailed subplots
Dialogue
Minor characters
Endorsements of your manuscript from any or all of the following: your mum / wife / husband / best friend / boyfriend / girlfriend / creative writing group. Agents and publishers don't know them and won't care.
Self glorification e.g. "This rollicking roller coaster fantasy adventure will have readers enthralled - sure to be the greatest publishing phenomenon since Harry Potter."
Here's one I did earlier...
Since synopses are usually only read by agents and editors, examples can be hard to come by for those not involved in the publishing business so I thought you might like to see the one I wrote for my debut novel "My Desperate Love Diary".
I'm not pretending that this is a perfect synopsis (I probably should have made it less detailed and added that the book was likely to appeal to female readers who like a bit of fun and romance) but it was successful. From a never-been-published wannabe author I was signed by a top agent and published by Random House. At the very least the synopsis couldn't have put them off! So have a nosy and see what you think. If you've got any comments or questions about this article please email ME and I'll get back to you ASAP.
SYNOPSIS: MY DESPERATE LOVE DIARY
This novel is an account of the anguish and idiocies of first love.
Kelly Ann is a fifteen year old Glasgow schoolgirl who is saving up her pocket money for breast implants and is obsessed with winning the love of good looking laddish fellow pupil whom she identifies only as G 'and that isn't even his real initial' in her diary.
Whilst G cynically uses Kelly Ann only to borrow money from and complete homework assignments for him, she is blind to any of his faults and perceives him as perfect.
Meanwhile the hero Chris, another fellow pupil, is 'secretly' in love with her although everyone bar Kelly Ann is aware of it. She is oblivious to his feelings as well as his good looks, intelligence and charm as she has known him since early childhood and sees him just as a friend, or as Kelly Ann puts it, she would no more think of kissing him that snogging her own brother if she had one.
Kelly Ann has two best friends Stephanie and Liz who are openly scathing of Kelly Ann's desire for 'tosser' G but nevertheless are fiercely loyal and supportive of her.
Stephanie came to Kelly Ann's comprehensive school after being expelled from her private boarding school for having sex with the school gardener's son and calling the head mistress a frustrated old bag. According to Stephanie she would have got away with it if she hadn't said 'old'. Stephanie is a nymphet whose main interest is sex, most especially with rough, working class boys.
Liz is a plump busty teenager whose obsessions are diets and psychology. Diets typically fail within hours due to Liz's tendency to reward herself for abstemious behaviour with 'just one' chocolate, slice of pizza, etc. Liz's attempts at psychological counselling are not always appreciated by her client victims who are subjected to typically unflattering analyses of their problems and shortcomings whether they asked for them or not.
However Julian, Stephanie's skinny but well endowed brother is willing to put up with Liz's counselling sessions provided she wears her tight white lycra top or the black lace bustier. Julian is a laid back computer genius who has no ambitions other than the overthrow of capitalism, maintaining his generous allowance from capitalist portaloo manufacturer father, and winning of Liz's affections.
The support of this circle of friends is important in helping Kelly Ann deal not only with the vicissitudes of her love life (or often lack of it) but also to cope with problems within her family.
Her older sister, whom Kelly Ann refers to by the acronym MNP or Miss No Personality, blots her perfectionist copybook by falling pregnant by her equally boring boyfriend Graham. This plunges Kelly Ann's mother who had just turned forty, into a midlife crisis which starts by her wearing boob tubes and having her navel pierced, and culminates in her leaving Kelly Ann's father for a toy boy Spanish waiter. Kelly Ann is mortified by her mother's behaviour, especially the affair with the waiter which, as Kelly Ann observes, makes it obvious to everyone that at least one of her parents must still have sex.
Aside from her parents, the most influential adult character is English teacher Mrs Conner whose husband has left her for his secretary. After this desertion Mrs Conner changes her name to Ms Conner and becomes a vehemently anti-male feminist. She proceeds to base the English curriculum for all her pupils entirely around these new found beliefs. Thus studies of love sonnets, plays and novels are abandoned in favour of discursive essays with titles such as 'Romantic love - A Noble Ideal or Just Another Tool for the Oppression of Women'. Discuss.
Yet it is when Ms Conner casts Chris and Kelly Ann as a couple having a torrid affair in the school Christmas play (scripted by Ms Conner and described by her as a 'gritty existential modern alternative nativity story') that Kelly Ann's suppressed sexual feelings for Chris begin to be released. She resists these at first in her single minded pursuit of G but in the end realises that Chris, not G, is her true love.
The humour in the book is strongly character based. Kelly Ann's almost complete lack of insight into her own personality and other people's true motivations coupled with her adolescent proclivity to react to events with either wild optimism or catastrophic despair is the basis for much of the absurdity, mayhem and emotional angst in the novel.
Kelly Ann is forced to develop a degree of maturity in order to take care of her sister and father after her mother's departure. However by the end of the novel she is still essentially naïve. Therefore whilst the story ends happily as she is united with Chris, in the very last page there is a hint of trouble to come as Kelly Ann anticipates a 'perfect' future relationship with Chris free of any disagreement and based on total mutual empathy. This ending is intended to form the basis of a sequel.
How to Write the Dreaded Novel Synopsis Sonnet Hack Day Six Video Clips. Duration : 2.82 Mins.Famous poems are everywhere. They appear in places no one could expect - slogans on television, common sayings and phrases, and the titles of just about every artistic film or endeavor at the local video store. Because famous poems are so transcendent, we rarely if ever notice they are there and even less often realize who wrote them. Why not ensure the proper steps are taken when reading a famous poem then to better appreciate the author, the poem, and the time spent reading it.
Step #1 - Selecting a Famous Poem
Easy as pie, right? It might immediately seem so but finding and selecting a specific famous poem or poet to study can be a bit time consuming. Do you really want to read something that does not interest you? You wouldn't simply buy a book off of a shelf because the woman at the desk told you it was famous. You would want to know what the book is about. The same is true for poetry.
Most of the famous poems in history are available for free online and can be searched for by topic. If you are interested in a war story, Homer's Iliad has been enthralling readers for millennia while Shakespeare's sonnets are beautiful love poems. There are numerous resources for finding that ideal poem.
Step #2 - Who Wrote the Famous Poem
Who is the author of your famous poem? The list of potential names is nearly endless. Here are a few of the biggest and brightest stars of the poetry universe to get you started:
Homer
William Shakespeare
Edgar Allen Poe
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Percy Bysshe Shelley
John Keats
William Wordsworth
The list goes on seemingly forever if you let it. The best way to find an incredible, famous poet is to visit the local bookstore or library and ask for recommendations.
Step #3 - Reading the Poem
Read it carefully and slowly. Simply skimming through a famous poem doesn't do it justice and will only leave you wondering, why is this so famous? You could read a magazine if you simply wanted text to skim over quickly. Poetry is meant to be absorbed and to absorb it you must read it slowly and methodically.
Step #4 - Contextualizing Famous Poems
When was the famous poem written? What was happening in the world? What major events were coloring the life of its author? These are the questions you should ask when reading a famous poem. Every poem has a story behind it and knowing that story can make the entire experience that much more engaging.
Step #5 - Finding More Poetry
Once you find a famous poem that you enjoy, that strikes the perfect cord, you will want to find more of the same. Luckily, many of the poets listed above have enormous bodies of work. Most local bookstores feature large anthologies of work from most of them as well as combined anthologies with famous poems organized by subject or publication date. If you want to find more poetry, there are dozens of resources to do so.
Five Easy Steps to Reading a Famous Poem If I were Video Clips. Duration : 2.50 Mins.Many people think that writing is a way to escape, yet others are so deep into writing that other activities have to pull them from their pen and paper. I can only hope that while visiting this site, you find yourself lost in your own mind writing what comes natural. Not because I, nor anyone, needs to hear it, but because in order to live you must say it. Your mind can be hectic and thought traffic may clutter your cognitivity. Release yourself. Be who you can not be. Change yourself with your own inspirational thoughts and stories. I have written a poem to open the door to comments, more poems, even people who want to share just how much they hate it. As long as your fingers are moving.
Someone...?
Someone you trust, someone you love.
Someone you lust, as rare as a dove.
Someone who cares, and someone who cries,
when you're down and out, with tears in your eyes.
Someone who wants you, for all the right reasons.
Not someone who changes, upon all the seasons.
I carry to bed, the thought of her smile.
Through all of the fighting, it's what makes it worth while.
Why is it, that this person I can't find.
I know I'm not helpless, I know I'm not blind.
It seems who I want, is out of my league.
But those who want me, I just can't see.
I just can't breath, without you there.
I know you can hear me, I know you're somewhere.
Just show yourself, please don't hide.
Please let me come in, it's pouring outside!
Please come out, and look into my eyes.
And know then, we're not all based off lies.
Not all living dies, with tears in pretty eyes.
It's just a suit, I'm not a spy.
Just let me show you, I'm not that bad.
Don't let those other guys, make you so sad.
Let me be myself, so that you can see.
That what you really need, is a pile of me.
But that's all I am, just a big pile.
I need reconstruction, I need reconcile.
So please be the one, to rebuild my strength.
To better my life, and give it more length.
I'm not out to ruin, I'm not out to hurt.
You're just too perfect, in that pretty flower skirt.
So what do you say, would you give me a shot?
Because I'll give you what you need, if you accept all I've got....
-- Worth Joseph Stroud IV
Free Writing - Poems That Are by People Like You! I Was Born In Michigan - Judy Garland (Easter Parade) Tube. Duration : 2.57 Mins.How many times have we heard "Me! Write an ebook or an article! I just don't have anything to say". And for many people, the simple fear of sitting down and writing means many ideas remain behind closed minds.
So how easy is it for someone who has never written down their thoughts to get started. Maybe write a few articles, try their hand at putting together a 30 page ebook, or starting a blog.
Lets put it this way, I write for a living and have done for the past twenty years, but because I have always worked in radio, I think of myself more as broadcaster than a writer. So even I sit down and think, how can I write a 500 word article.
But I have a system. I get the first couple of thoughts down on paper, and then find I can bash out a reasonable 500 word article. And that's the key. Write something, even if its just your name. Just pick away at your keyboard until the letters begin to form words. Before you know it, a story will begin to appear. It doesn't matter if the grammar is rubbish, it doesn't matter if the spelling is way off. Get the ideas down on paper. Then go back and tidy it up.
A word of warning You may have the idea, now you need to get some facts to reinforce it. Well use the internet as a research tool. But don't use it to plagiarise other people's work.
But what will I write about?? Well from my office this Saturday morning, I've watched as a steady stream of people sit in front of a TV camera in the middle of a busy public space and recorded their story. They all felt the urge to talk about their interests, their passions, hobbies, favourite holidays. Why they think the world is in danger, the price of sausages which has doubled over the past year. All of them had a story to tell. All of them could have written an article or a blog entry about what interest them.
Out of curiosity I went down and met some of them. Talk about niche marketing..this was as personal as it gets. From the lady with the Morris Minor car that she had driven for the past 20 years. The same car she passed her test in. The young lad who loved a particular series of horror books. The retired scientist who now writes sonnets. The beautician who also drives stock cars. The man who specialised in photographing the British Royal family. And the entertainer who has his own small cinema in a shed in the back garden.
All of them with a story to tell, but up until now probably thought it wasn't worth telling. So just remember somewhere in the world there are people just like you with the same interests and passions and who would love to hear from you. What are you waiting for. Start a love affair with your keyboard and start writing.
How Can I Publish My Own Ebook? I Have Nothing to Write About I gotta feeling parody Video Clips. Duration : 4.33 Mins.Whether you are looking to analyze a poem for your literature course or just want to learn how for pure enjoyment, hopefully I can help you out. Analyzing poetry is easier than you realize. Nonetheless, it can be time consuming depending on the length of the poem and its subject matter.
Each poem is unique, and there is no one way analyzing a specific poem. However, there are some areas which should be addressed.
Type. What type of poem is it? Is it a sonnet? A ballad? A cinquain? The type of poem can often determine what the overall purpose of the poem is.
Rhyme scheme (if applicable). What type of rhyme is being used (end, front? abab?)
Meaning. What does the poem mean? Is it concrete or abstract?Other areas which may or may not be addressed include:
Voice. Who is the speaker? What point of view does the poem take? What perspective does the author take? Does the voice show?
Setting. Where does the poem take place? Is it symbolic?
Sound. What does the sound (when read aloud) attribute to the poem? For example, does it speed up or slow down during main events such as the climax?
Language use. How do the words used affect the poem? Do the words have double meanings? Are there puns, connotations or alliteration used?
Ideology. What ideals and values does the poetic world hold? How are they different from ares?Nothing particular is off-game when you are analyzing poetry. However, when trying to dissect the poem it is important to have at least some basic knowledge of the poet's background. This may do wonders when trying to find the true meaning of the poet's written word.
Creative ways to say
I love you
and different ways to kiss
makes me want to write a poem
or at least a list
of 101 ways to flirt
or ways to tease a guy
ways to become a vampire
kiss...
Oh!
I need a list of emotions
not yet spoken
by me
at least.
Lets put it all to a
love quest
let me request
of you
the same loving mercy
that I would show
to you.
And..
when I do?
I will hold my breath
for within this lighted candle
our love
will never
be quite
the same
I do my love
see you.
I applaud our lust
I do!
So far beyond a one night's stand
past what you might imagine
be confident
my love
for you
contentment sings a completed song
and does not falter.
Hold it up to the light
past any
one
night
no matter how
sexed grand
beyond a one nights
our passion
is past
this just
for some
empty
one night
plan.
How can I tell you
I love you
simple ways come first.
You don't need me dying in your arms
saying
weakly
I love you
as my last
dying
words.
Love is in a flower
picked along a trail
love is in a cup of coffee
in the morning
or a leaf
from a single green tree
along with a note
saying
I thought of you
yesterday
and do forever
and with my heart
for you
I do
eternally
reach.
I bring you leaves
from my pocket
hold them
warm them
bring them
with honesty.
And as you look upon them
I say
every single vein
in every single leaf
know this
these leaves
are unique.
I honor them
hold them to my heart
and yet
oh my beloved
they are
not
in any way
as remarkable
as you.
Simple
simple kisses
yet true.
I don't want to tease you
I see no room for that
and within my kisses?
Know that I will always love you
with all my heart
and my promise to you
will say it all
beyond
anyone's
predictable eye.
I think most people writing poetry or writing about poetry, has their own concept of what should be, what shouldn't be, what is, what is not: you know, our own little world of poetry. Not sure if any of us are right: we think we are, but whose standards are we going by? So I shall give you my propose and if it doesn't fit into your box, burn it: your' may be better anyhow.
When I use to read a poem, and I assume when many people do read a poem, and when I do read a poem myself, nowadays, besides my own, I, like most people want to know what the heck it means. As I have stated before in other poetry articles, and as I believe it should be, each poem is mini-story unto itself. With that in mind, we shift to the word, "Paraphrase," or I can live with 'substance,' of the poem: again I am saying: the purpose of the story, what is the purpose of the story in the poem? You see, we flip back to step one. As I have told my wife many times, as she questions my poetry, she says: "Why this?" And I say "For effect." And she says: "What~!" and I say, "See I got an effect from you." Like any story you read, you are looking--I would think, for its effect, its outcome, what does it produce. If you were to read, "In Cold Blood," by Mr. Truman Capote, the effect would be, or the result may be: stunning, for he book is one big upshot of wonderment. Poetry should do the same, or its aim should be the same, so I believe.
So now we got a poem, it is a story, and we are looking for its purpose within its given effect on our body and minds, which is called 'paraphrase,' now lets take this one more step, one more level, if you don't' mind. We have read the poem three times, and now we have interpreted it to how it has affected us. Our flesh, or organs and our mind, is jumping, our bones are being melted, or we are frustrated, and say: hell with the poem, I get only irritation out of it. Perhaps you can extract some meaning from the lines that hit home, and perhaps the poem is crap to start out with, so go find a poet you like. To the poet, he should have an aim with his poem; know where he wants to take his reader. It is like most things in life, why waste your breathe the readers time, if there is no reason behind it; nothing gives anything, breeds the same: nothing.
Now I will give you a poem (look for the effect it has on you, name it):
To Too Much
I have had way too much,
To too long, way too long,
To know that that I'm way
Too old to admit my 'twos'
Are wrong.
I asked a person what effect they got out of this: "I wondered why the writer was so tired." Is what the person said. Now for you, what did you get? What did the author want? To perhaps see if twos [to, too, twos] can make a stanza, isolated the framework of the poem into a spell, hopefully, out comes the prose meaning: the person is old and is tired, very tired. If the poems were to continue, it would result in you knowing, or the person knowing who read the poem, more of the person who is tired, and perhaps you can identify with it, and why he or she was tired could make a difference.
In one way, it is nice to read poetry, it is quick, it is condensed, and it is the top of the line as far as writing goes: and a story of 10,000-works can be put into 10-stanzas. It draws out our emotions, or can and should: and should be of the best man has in his mind and heart to offer. And again, don't take any of this personal, it is just my opinion, no more than that, and again, perhaps your reasoning is better than mine. So take it for what it is worth, and enjoy it.
Purpose of a Poem (and a Poem) Hip Hop Lives feat. Yoshi Tube. Duration : 3.53 Mins."All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling."--Oscar Wilde
People write poetry for a plethora of reasons, but this article has a sharpened arrowhead aimed directly at the fingertips of amateur poets who wish to be published yet refuse to learn the attributes of a well-crafted poem. These poets are the ones who plop their pieces, shining with every beam of ambiguity, vagueness and hackney, into cyberspace for review. I have encountered a few of these poets to whom I have given a courteous critique, only to be backhanded in the face by sore comments such as, "You must be too dense to get it," or "Everyone I know tells me how great I am. You're the only one..."
Of course I am usually left wondering why someone would care to post a poem in a critique forum if any constructive comment given to the poet gets immediately flushed down the cyber-potty. Many new poets seem to think that writing a poem is one hundred percent emotion. They overlook the notion that, as with any craft, poetry entails a good deal of practice and learning as well as desire and talent. So instead of writing about the importance of concrete imagery, figurative language, and the art of minimizing abstractions, I thought it might be fun, (and might even tick a few people off) to write a small compendium of attributes of bad poetry.
Recipe for a Really Bad Poem
- A bad poem should not have any original language. If you aim to write a bad poem, avoid coming up with stark images. The last thing you would want to do is write something fresh, innovative, and evocative. Use as many hackneyed expressions as possible, such as "crystal clear," "dark as ebony," "blue as the sky," "dark as night," "...paints a picture," "climb the highest mountain," Etc.
- An especially bad poem should be heavily weighted with abstract words such as "heart," "love" "sadness," "despair," "hate," and "destiny." The more abstract and generalized your poem, the better suited it will be to mean absolutely nothing to the reader. Aim for zero concrete images if you want a particularly bad poem. For example, "The world is a sorrowful place/ filled with sadness and hate...blah blah blah." Also, be sure to TELL the poet how to describe something by using superfluous abstract adjectives! "The water is pretty;" "The world is ugly;" "His eyes were beautiful..." A bad poem should never use figurative language or descriptive imagery to SHOW the reader a slice of life.
- No matter how odd the sentence becomes, or how unlikely the phrase would be concocted in normal language, make it RHYME. Rhyme anyway!! That's right, a bad poem is going to have very forced rhyme. If you have to rearrange the structure of a sentence just to make the rhyme fit, go for it! For example: "The apple blossoms fell in May/ on the grassy field is where they lay." (Notice how I just couldn't say, "They lay on the grassy field?" That wouldn't rhyme, so I had to make up a funky sentence.
- Don't worry about punctuation, grammar, or spelling. What you really want to do is to make the reader scratch her head and read it a zillion times trying to figure out what it means. Bad spelling and poor grammar will really detract from the meaning, so get reckless with your words. Try this poem out for size:
i watch as the sun/
sets over the horisen/
the ocean pants/
like a wild monster/
breaths with heavy/
breath and then falls/
something small/
always gets lost/
in the mouth/
of agony
-------or-------
u r reel speciol/
like honi sweet/
from a candy bee.
- A good practice for a cleverly bad poet is to make the objects of the poem plural! Globalize your subject for an incredibly weak impact! "Trees are..." "People cry..." "Flowers bloom..." By pluralizing all the objects of the poem, you are blurring the imagery, thus making it sappy, intangible, and simply boring.
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Frequently Asked Questions of bad poets who want to be published but don't want to work:
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Q. Who are you to judge what a good poem is? A poem is like beauty; it is in the eye of the beholder!
A. Paul Valery once said, "a poem is never finished, only abandoned." You have to work on your poem. You have to find a certain clarity that will reach the reader. Sometimes we get so fogged up with our own emotions, we don't really see the true poem. Emotional outpours make excellent first drafts, but if you don't go any further then that, you aren't working hard enough to make your poem good--even in your own eyes. Also, as far a judging a poem is concerned, as long as you hope to publish your poetry, it will get judged. Know what these "judgers" are looking for.
Q. If clichés were so bad, why have they been around for so long?
A. Exactly!! Everyone understands clichés--almost to the point where they don't even mean anything anymore. Poetry is an art of expression and exposition. If you are too lazy to come up with the images yourself, then you aren't really writing poetry.
Q. I write poetry for personal reasons. It is my way of dealing with the world. Why should I care what you think about poetry?
A. You shouldn't. Unless you are trying to perfect your craft so that you can express yourself through literature in some publication, you can write any way you want. Just know, though, that if you post your poem for critique, you might get some honest criticism based on poetic technique. If that is not what you are looking to get, please let people know what you are looking to get.
How to Write Bad Poetry Young Love (Spring Breakup cover) Tube. Duration : 4.37 Mins.I was fortunate enough to have an incredible history teacher in high school. In fact, I had a couple of really good history teachers in high school, but the one I am thinking of taught me about the world and everything contained within it.
I had just come into public high school from years of home schooling. As I would say constantly throughout my first year of high school, "it's all Greek to me." Quiet and withdrawn, Mr. Berg was exactly what I needed to give me a kick start.
First you must understand where I am coming from. The minute I got to high school I was terribly confused. Slang terms such as "gay" and "dog" were used. To me gay was still a sexual affiliation and dog was a pet. I felt like I was on a completely different planet, except for one place: Mr. Berg's classroom. His class made me feel enriched and empowered by the materials put before me. True, half of the class was there just so they could tell colleges that they had taken a honor's class, but the other half was there because we were truly interested in what was to be talked about. Everything from ballroom dancing, music, poetry, battles, and (my favorite) art, was discussed.
He expected us to talk up in class and express our opinions. He wanted us to discover the strength within ourselves. Unlike any other teacher I had known up to that point, he pushed me beyond my safe box and, though he probably never knew it, pushed me to see the inner confidence within myself.
In fact, one day I remember that it was extra credit day. The assignment was to memorize a Shakespearian sonnet and recite it in front of the class. I had been feeling incredibly lazy the night before and I just had quickly glanced at a sonnet before I decided to go to bed. Mr. Berg came up to me on extra credit day and said "What about you?" I told him that I didn't memorize it; I had been very tired the night before. He knew better. "I know you know it. Come on, push yourself. You do consider yourself an actress don't you? This should be easy for you." You want to know something? He was right. Deep down inside me I really did know it. It took a little while for me to recite it, but he was patient. Mr. Berg made things feel a little less Greek.
In fact, part of his curriculum was us being given a lecture on battles between the Romans and the Greeks. We were taught that Romans were trained for war and the Greeks were trained for the intellect. They were the delvers into knowledge. They cared about what was inside the human mind. Suddenly, I found myself not using the term "it's all Greek to me" anymore. I found out its literal meaning. With that in mind I would say that Mr. Berg's class was all Greek to me. It was a place in which we were trained to use our intellect.
Mr. Berg retired after that year. Although I never told him what he did for me that year, deep down I think he knew what he did for all of us. He gave us the tools we need to be explorers within ourselves and also out in the world. For that I am eternally grateful.
This Greek salad is dedicated to Mr. Berg. It's got all the ingredients a good teacher should: confidence, adventure, boldness, and packed full with a lot of flavors:
Ingredients: 1 sliced cucumber, 1/8 tsp pepper, 5 cups washed spinach leaves torn into bite-sized pieces, ¼ cup oil, 3 tomatoes cut into wedges, ¼ tsp salt, 4 cups Boston style lettuce torn into bite-sized pieces, 2 tbs lemon juice, 2 dozen pitted ripe olives, 1 cup feta cheese, 1 and ½ tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp Splenda, and ¼ cup sliced green onions.
Likely Page Break1) In tightly covered container, shake the oil, lemon juice, sugar, Splenda, mustard, salt, and pepper.
2) In a large mixing bowl, toss the lettuces, cheese onion, olives, tomatoes, and cucumber.
3) Put dressing mixture in salad mixture and toss again.
4) Enjoy with intellectual humility.
*Base of recipe from Betty Crocker and I molded it from there.
How To Make "It's All Greek To Me Salad" February 22nd: Road Trippin' and Sonnets Video Clips. Duration : 4.32 Mins.Poems have been written about nearly every topic under the sun, and next to love and death, friendship poems are among the most commonly read, written, and shared in the world. Unfortunately, a beautiful poem written in friendship can often result in a misunderstanding when it sounds very much like a love poem.
Regardless of the confusion, some of the world's greatest poets have penned friendship poems for any number of their closest acquaintances, professional colleagues or distant relatives. When a poet feels close to someone, a natural response is to write a poem.
What Makes A Friendship Poem Special?
This is where confusion can often arise when describing the difference between a friendship poem and a love poem. Love poetry is most often the result of an extreme, powerful emotion, a written expression of the almost intangible sensation of love. On the other hand, friendship poems are more subdued, relying on personal references and expressions of caring. The difference is similar to what kind of gift you would buy for a girlfriend or boyfriend as opposed to a roommate or childhood buddy. One would hope they are not the same gift.
Great Friendship Poems
Great poets in history have made a habit of penning verses for each other in response to any number of personal relationships. It was their way of paying respect to their closest friends. If someone might buy a gift for a friend today, Shakespeare would have written that person a sonnet. Which is something Shakespeare did do on occasion. Sonnet 104, for example, speaks to a close friend with whom he treasures the three summers they spent together. The poem reads similar to many of his love sonnets, and in fact has been debated for some time as many believe it is in fact a love poem.
Friendship Poems as Metaphor
Other poets used friendship as a metaphor, comparing the closeness of a friend to any number of other experiences. For example, in Emily Dickinson's "The Soul Unto Itself" she wrote:
The Soul unto itself
Is an imperial friend -
Or the most agonizing Spy -
An Enemy - could send -
Secure against its own -
No treason it can fear -
Itself - its Sovereign - of itself
The Soul should stand in Awe -
She is not writing about a close friend, but her own soul and the numerous masks it takes on. However, the same could be said about a close friend who is never quite as disarmed as we would like to believe.
Defining Friendship With a Poem
But then there are those poets who wrote friendship poems solely ruminating on the nature of friendship. Ralph Waldo Emerson can be attributed for dozens of memorable quotes about what it means to be a friend and wrote numerous friendship poems in turn. One of his most famous was the short but poignant "Glory of Friendship" which states:
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand,
nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship;
it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when
he discovers that someone else believes in him and is
willing to trust him.
He went on to write many other poems, such as the simply titled "Friendship" and the numerous letters he wrote to Thomas Carlyle, detailing his deep thoughts on the subject and the source for many of his works.
Friendship Poems Today
Poetry today does not ruminate nearly as much on friendship as it does on love, and the closeness of any two friends is admittedly not as defined as it once was. However, if you have ever felt the urge or desire to tell your friend what their friendship means to you, you have an inkling of what the great poets such as Emerson experienced when they sat down to pen their poems, and what better way to understand friendship poems than that.
Letters are one of the most effective means of communication. Through a letter things that a person wants to say to other people are expressed more eloquently and there are definitely major advantages for using getting back together letters.
People in a relationship, no matter how poor they are in expressing their feelings in writing must have written at least one letter. Love letters don't have to be on par with the sonnets of Shakespeare; they can be very simple yet direct and to the point.
All about getting back together letters.
Even if you broke up with your ex, you can still write a letter. These letters can play a very crucial role in trying to fix your relationship with your ex. Getting back together letters can deliver your desire of patching things up or your feelings about the break-up in a way nothing else can.
T Dub Jackson, who is an expert in giving advice on getting back with your ex says that upon break-up, a person must write getting back together letters. These letters must be an alternative to what he refers to as "text message terrorism", where you bombard your ex with messages. Instead, he believes that to win the heart of your ex back, you must write a short letter and it must be handwritten.
The letters must be short to go directly to the point without running around the bush. And they must be handwritten to prove your sincerity. What should you say in your first letter? T Dub Jackson advises that your letter must not be about pleading with your ex but rather an acknowledgment of the break-up. The letter must agree with and respect your ex's decision of breaking up with you. Getting back together letters can work wonders in a relationship
This sonnet is linked to sonnet 77 in many ways. Recall that in sonnet 77 the poet gave a notebook to the young man in question as a gift. The poet wanted the young man to record his younger day so that when he is old he could look back and remember the days of his youthful beauties. The notebook was to forge a bond between the individuals; it was to serve as a social function of one person's writing to the other, and probably as a medium of communication. However, it did not turned out as contemplated by the young man.
When the young man returned the favor with his gift of a book, the poet responded in the following manner, as stated in lines one and two of the sonnet: "Thy gift, thy tables, are within my brain / Full character'd with lasting memory." Additionally, the poet further stated in line number four the following words: "Beyond all dates, even to eternity." In essence the poet discarded the gift from the young man. The rejection of the notebook certainly would leave one to wonder about the bond between the two individuals, whether it is unilateral or bilateral, or was it one of a superior and inferior relationship with a class distinction.
Obviously, this is not a clear sign of any positive gesture or medium of appreciation. Returning the gift offered by a person certainly show a lack of value or one of non-appreciation. Some will argue that the real value is that which was passed on in the minds of the individuals instead of something tangible in the form of property such as a book. In essence, the poet has classified the book and the writing as replicas in his medium of communication. As such, the class dynamic in this situation is one to be considered greatly regarding its sincerity.
The theme of the poem showed the point the poet was trying to make regarding his mind. The last two lines state: "To keep an adjunct to remember thee / Were to import forgetfulness in me." Here the poet has apparently stated that his mind will be clear and fresh of the young man; one would imagine. In essence, however, the poet has also stated, "I do not need to refresh my memory of you; I want you to remember me." Apparently, the poet may not need their embedded memory to be passed on to other generations from his side. He would rather it be done from the young man's point of view.
It's true! Many people today are just a pay check away from being homeless. That is why you should be kind to others because you might be up today and down tomorrow. To express your concerns for the homeless, you may write a poem to yourself or send it to the newspaper.
One thing for sure, the poor will always be here, and it looks like the population of poor people is growing larger every day. Many people fall on hard times as they face unexpected job closings and layoffs. Many seem hopeless as the number of unemployed people increases. For these and other reasons, you may want to write yourself a poem similar to "I Cry for the Homeless."
Sample Poem:
I Cry for the Homeless
One day up and the next down.
If you are down and without a home
it's sad when you don't know your source
from it comes your help, of course!
So, I cry for the homeless
One day rich and the next poor.
If you are poor and without a home
it's sad when you don't know your source
from it comes your help, of course!
So, I cry for the homeless
One day with friends the next alone.
If you are alone and without a home
it's sad when you don't know your source
from it comes your help, of course!
So, I cry for the homeless
One day famous and the next unknown.
If you are unknown and without a home
it's sad when you don't know your source
from it comes your help, of course!
So, I cry for the homeless
Copyright © 2007, Dr. M.E. Waters. All Rights Reserved.
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