Text Box: This short tanka, an extension of the haiku, is of the pink peach blossoms on Jackson Street. Tori uses this poem of nature in good form as the tanka traditionally captures natural images in its compact form.

 By Tori M.

¨ Peach Blossoms
Text Box: A ballad is meant to portray tragedy and loss. Here Ryan revisits the harsh realities of September the 11th and uses the form to send his message of loss and sadness. The ballad is traditionally used by songwriters and in this poem you can get a hint as to why.

 By Ryan F.
Text Box: September 11th Text Box: Ashley sees her cat in this villanelle. There are several lines throughout the poem that are designed to repeat giving the listener a better opportunity to soak in the poem through one listening. The unplanned repetition somehow works out and compliments the form.

Ashley C.

¨ Friend
Text Box: A tanka is an extension of the Japanese form of poetry called the haiku. Often about nature, the tanka has only five lines and must have only 31 syllables arranged 5-7-5-7-7. Here Ashley is writing about a small bush in the Ludwig parking lot on the corner of Fourth and Jackson St.

 By Ashley C.

¨ Bushes
Text Box: An ode is a poem of appreciation and in this ode Ashley shows just how much the loves her grampa.

 By Ashley C.
Text Box: Grampa

If you’d like me to leave a comment for any of these artists, please leave me an email at

benjamin.vandenberg@morton709.org

and I’ll be sure to add it to the site at the next scheduled update.
Text Box: As in friendship , there needs to be a constant flow of giving so that both people come together in thanks. Erica uses friendship as her them in the French rondeau. Rondeau translates as “round” and ends with the same line that it begins with. The friendship theme here works really well with the form.

 By Erica V.

¨ True Friends
Text Box: The pantoum is another French poem with a heavy refrain. In her Summertime poem, you can feel the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze on your face. The imagery is marvelous.

 Krysta H.

¨ Summertime
Text Box: An insult poem is designed to do just that, insult. It is never intended to fully identify the person or object that it is written to, this poem never actually reaches its destination. Here Melissa seems to be writing about the lessons learned in trusting an untrustworthy friend.

 By Melissa S.

¨ I Hate You
Text Box: This is Randy’s free verse poem about the earth. Randy’s observation of some bicyclers help him realize the fragile nature of our planet and he wants to thank them for not polluting our already polluted planet. Text Box: By Randy C. Text Box: Oh, So Earth Text Box: Another ghazal, Nathan observes some of the things outside. From the squirrel and the tree to the birds in the sky, he captures this moment in poetry like a literary photographer, one stilled picture at a time.

 By Nathan F.
Text Box: Bird Flyby

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