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From the Mslexia Workshops Collection

February's Workshop: Poetry and I

DEVISED BY GILLIAN ALLNUTT

There are three parts to this exercise. Read and do the first; then read and do the second; then read and do the third.

1. SEVEN QUESTIONS FOR POETRY

Answer the following questions in the persona of Poetry. Write one whole sentence for each answer.

Stop! You’re travelling on foot, not doing a helicopter survey. Take each question as you come to it - and don’t look at the next until you’ve answered it. Don’t think: listen discerningly for the answer. Work fairly fast.
(1) Where do you live when you’re on earth?
(2) Can you sleep here?
(3) Who do you think you are, for God’s sake?
(4) What’s in that basket?
(5) What did you mean when you said ‘my broken things’?
(6) What is thought?
(7) How do you know it’s the edge of the desert?

2. WHAT POETRY SAID TO YOU

>> Take one of your sentences as the first words of what Poetry chooses to tell you - though without explaining anything. Poetry doesn’t explain. Poetry speaks at some length. Write it down.
>> Through the words of the monologue - a monologue is what you’re doing in writing terms - you might want to indicate where the two of you - you and Poetry - are, or not.
>> Set this out as normal prose or as one sentence underneath the other.
>> Remember Poetry is speaking. This is written down talk.
>> Spend about 25 minutes writing.

3. WHAT YOU GAVE BACK

>> Imagine that you are telling someone about your encounter with Poetry. It could be someone you know or someone you don’t - like the Wedding Guest in The Ancient Mariner. Tell them about what you gave back.
>> Again, set it out as normal prose or as one sentence underneath the other.
>> Spend about 15 minutes writing.

OVER TO YOU

Read what you have written and work from some or all of it towards a poem, or two poems, or one poem in two parts; a story; a play script; what you will.

GILLIAN ALLNUTT has published seven collections of poetry. The most recent is How the Bicycle Shone: New & Selected Poems (Bloodaxe, 2007). In 2005 she received The Northern Rock Foundation Writer’s Award. She currently holds a residency with The Medical Foundation for the Care of the Victims of Torture (North East).

PHOTO © Sarah Banks

 

These workshops have been devised especially for the Mslexia Women's Short Story Competition, judged by Helen Simpson. For the latest on the writing world, publishing and creativity subscribe to Mslexia now. To sample more Mslexia features or to find out about the latest issue click here.