I’ve been working in Classical Arab forms. When I told a friend of mine, an Algerian poet, he looked at me as if I’d said I was planning build a Frankenstein from body parts stashed in my basement. When I told him I’d written a “ghazal” (books say it’s pronounced to rhyme with puzzle) he laughed out loud. He thought just the westernization of the pronunciation was absurd.

In poetry we discuss the relationship between form and content, knowing that neither exists independent of the other. The shape of a free-verse poem is determined by the content. The restrictions of formal verse shape the content (for example, a sonnet requires a volta; supplying a rhyme will create the direction of the narrative). Obviously, when adapting the requirements of a foreign poetry form, things get lost.

How much can we lose and still recognize the form of the poem. How much did the haiku change when westerners decided to quantify sounds (as the 5-7-5 syllable structure) in a way that doesn’t exist in Japanese? If I grew up in the city and read the seasons by how high shirts are buttoned up and don’t know a tadpole from a Christmas ornament, should I even try to write haiku? What do I learn about another culture’s art/aesthetic view of the world when I try it on for size?

My prompt this time around is to write a formal poem in another form. Take a haiku and write it in free verse, or fill it with heavy metal sounds.

Take a sonnet and write it as a haiku. What do you sacrifice, what to you adapt and what do manage to keep?

A great list of formal poetry definitions can be found here: http://thewordshop.tripod.com/forms.html

Pick and choose: the poetry world is your oyster. If you aren’t fond of oysters, stick some M&Ms in the shell. Mix your metaphors well.

I can’t wait to see these! It’s nice to think someone will be playing with this along with me this week.

~Ren.

(And please don’t forget to have a look at protestpoems.org!)

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Come back after the early morning hours next Monday and post a link to your ensemble at the get your poem on post that will be waiting for you. p>