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| "Alphabet: Finding letters all over Berlin." Martin Biskoping |
“There is another alphabet, whispering from every leaf, singing from every river, shimmering from every sky.”
~ Dejan Stojanovic
At the beginning of this month, Carole Boston Weatherford challenged us to write an abecedarian poem.
Typically each line (or word) of an abecedarian poem begins with A and continues in alphabetical order until you reach Z. For this challenge, however, writers could start and end with whichever letters they chose, just so long as they were used sequentially. (We all know how uncooperative some of those little alphabet critters can be!)
You might say our challenge was to turn this...
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| "Alphabet" by Luc Blain |
into this...
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Alphabet pencils by Dalton M. Ghetti
photo: Bernard Goldbach |
Easy peasy, right?
...maybe not.
But leave it to you all to put your muses to work and come up with some terrific results!
Together, we created this...
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| Alphabet quilt by Gillian King |
a communal quilt of abecedarian poems!
And that, my friends, is something to be proud of.
And that, my friends, is something to be proud of.
Thank you to everyone who contributed a poem, commented, or followed along, and most especially to Carole Boston Weatherford for the inspiration.
Scroll through the poems below (posted alphabetically, of course),
or for best viewing, CLICK HERE.
Inspired to write your own abecedarian poem?
Add it to our September 2017 padlet by TOMORROW, September 30, 2017, and I will move your poem to the wrap-up presentation.
Alternatively, you may enter the giveaway by commenting below. Comments must be received by Tuesday, October 3rd. If you contribute a poem and comment below you will receive two entries in total.
The winner will be determined by Random.org and announced next Friday, October 6th, when we reveal next month's spotlight interview and ditty challenge.
Before I send you on your way, I have some happy news to share...
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| Click image to enlarge. |
For those who might be uncomfortable playing audio from an online source, CDs are available for $9.00 (at cost) on Amazon.com. If you want to follow along while listening, you can find the Teacher/Librarian Edition and Children's Edition of The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations available for purchase, as well.
A
ReplyDeletebountiful
collection
defying
expectations
fantasma-
gorically!!
My worry with the abecedarian was that it would sound forced - but this collection shows otherwise. Thanks, Michelle and Carole, for throwing down the gauntlet, and all those who rose so beautifully to the challenge!
I would never have imagined so many would have taken up the challenge! Such variety! And many new and wonderful words discovered! (Oort cloud? Quaquaversal?)
ReplyDeleteAn Abecedasaurs abecedarian indeed, oh my! Thanks for the challenge Michelle, the rollicking and creative collection, pencils, quilts and all!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I loved the challenge this month. Like many, I sat staring at the blank page thinking I couldn't do it....too hard. Then, I started with one line and another skipped a few letters and came back and filled them in later. It turned into SUCH a fun exercise. Great job at promoting poetry and poets and new writing .... AND books. I love the way you spend your poetry energy.
ReplyDeleteThis challenge was a true poetry workout. I loved reading the creative bounty that followed. Your challenges and showcases are pure brilliance! Thanks Michelle
ReplyDeleteGood grief, it's the end of the month already?? Sigh...I've been kicking around ideas for a poem for the past week or two, but just have not had time to pull anything together. Next month, I suppose! But some really nice ones here!
ReplyDeleteMichelle, you are such a generous person to devote so much time to promoting others' work. I am saving this for last, so I can get a second cup of tea and dawdle, linger and savor. I have read many already through the month, here and there, but the full collection, I will hold off and save for later, like a chocolate on my pillow. Thanks again for your generous inclusion of all of us. XOXO
ReplyDeleteIt's a pleasure to read through everyone's ideas for the challenge. What fun to see the variety, and the accomplished work. Thanks so much, Michelle. Your invitations are highlights of my writing life, and what others write are a constant inspiration! And this time, thanks to Carole for the challenge!
ReplyDeleteA Big Congrats Deserved Especially For Guest and Host. I Just Keep Loving More N'more Of these Poems. Quite a Range, Such Talent, Ultra Vivacious Wizardy, X-ceptional Yarns, Zee-gads!
ReplyDeleteZee-gads, Buffy! I'm "More N'more" impressed with this comment each time I read it. :)
DeleteWahoo! Buffy, nice going! Bowing to you.
DeleteActually Buffy, boffo, creative dear!
Deletethis was deafly a challenge this month I just tried a nether poem I love everyone poems I'm going to reread the some moor this weekend
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica, So great to see you here.
DeleteThank you for hosting these challenges! I never dreamed I could write an abecedarian poem that actually sounded like a poem instead of a forced listing along the alphabet, but I did! And I have been blown away by all the contributions. WOW! Who knew the alphabet could be such an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun! I didn't know what an abecedarian poem was! Now I've learnt something new :) Thanks for having us every month. Though we poets are few, we are faithful ;)
ReplyDeleteApplause to all you Beautiful, Clever, Devoted, Energetic... wait, that would take entirely too long. (Ha! Just noticed Buffy up there pulled it off.) Great job, all!! Love Suzy's grumpy critters and Doraine's A-Z-A poem, and Heidi's new-to-me word, quaquaversal. And - THOSE PENCILS!! Terrific post and month all around.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle. This was a really fun challenge!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! It's been such a delight this month to enjoy the incredible responses to the abecedarian challenge. I'm sure the first one I created won't be my last. Thanks to you and Carole for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteWow! You showed how wide-ranging abecedarian can be. I love all these poems! They make me want to write one for every letter of the alphabet.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle, for this collection! I know I'm just echoing what others have said, but still true: your generosity of time and effort is amazing. What a great resource for teachers and writers to have, for education and inspiration. Thank you!
DeleteDear Unknown, I love your enthusiasm, but can you please identify yourself? I'll need to know who you are in order to enter you in the giveaway!
DeleteOh, my goodness! These are just delightful. Such a variety of creative approaches. I've written two abecedarians in the past--one about a circus and another about librarians. I feel rather inspired to try a third one, now. Thanks, Michelle and all the contributors!
ReplyDeleteabecedarian poems are such a wonderful challenge for the old poetry muscles, I feel inspired, I wonder what I can come up with! :-)
ReplyDeleteI was so impressed with all of the wonderful poems this month. Sad I didn't contribute, but not for a lack of trying. I think I wrote more for this poem that never came together, than most of my poems that do.
ReplyDeleteGreat news Michelle. What amazing poems this month. I too had not seen or tried this type of poem. It was a fun challenge. Thanks Carole for suggesting it.
ReplyDeleteEek - I'm too late for a second entry in the giveaway, but thank you again, Michelle, for this delightful challenge! Composing an abecedarian reminded me of how much I enjoy working crossword puzzles...so, yesterday I decided to dig into an old crossword puzzle collection! Unexpected side-effect of poetry: rekindling favorite hobbies :-)
ReplyDeleteThey just kept coming! More wonderful, diverse approaches, clever and meaningful and fun. Loved this challenge.
ReplyDeleteMichelle your artwork selected for this wrap is spot-on. I intend to re-read everyone. I'm especially moved by the poignant poems that follow the form. You are such a creative catalyst for our community. Appreciations. Balloons. Cupcakes. Dandelions. Fireworks . . .
ReplyDeleteLots of fun at your abecedarian padlet, Michelle. Thanks for indulging us in word play fun. I have a new abecedarian poem for October at my site.
ReplyDeleteTons of fun and so happy to be able to contribute. Michelle, you make my heart smile always.
ReplyDelete