Max Tell / Emotions: Fear

Break the Fear with a Poem

This is Max Tell with his first instalment of writing exercises for those poets currently writing for children or wishing to, young or old. 

Whenever writing for children keep honest, write vividly, and write from the heart. Kids know when we aren't, even when it's only on the page.

Let's start with emotions, and an easy one.

FEAR

1. Create a long list of things many children are afraid of like bullies, spiders, and snakes.
2. Write one stanza for each fear.
3. End the poem with a switch, turning fear into its opposite, bravery.
4. Now try another emotion: love, anger, or joy. When writing about love or joy, rather than ending with an opposite, you may want to end with a twist.

Example:

I'm Afraid of Everything

I'm afraid of everything,

everything I know,

the meanness of a bully's wink,

the squawking of a crow.

I'm afraid of spider webs 

and all those spider legs,

eyes galore, and mandibles,

and tons of spider eggs.

I'm afraid of all the snakes

that slither through the grass.

A kid I know brought one to school,

I went screaming from the class.

     Other stanzas have been omitted.

But wait for my solution,

how silly have I been?

They'll quickly be afraid of me

when I become a teen.

Enjoy Writing and Love Editing!

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For poems check out "Land of Graws".

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Next topic: The Basics. 

What would you like to know more about? Rhythm? Rhyme? Anything of your choice? Do you have a question about poetry? Your comments would be greatly appreciated.

Here is a list of a few of my favourite poets. Visit their sites, read their poetry. Experiment with your own writing.

• Dennis Lee
• Jack Prelutsky
• Roald Dahl
• Shel Silverstein

Bye for now and see you soon.

Have a great writing day.

Max