Dialogue

They huddled in the corner of the day care, the two middle aged women. The lights were dimmed and a movie was playing quietly in the background. About 12 children are lounging on the floor, on assorted colored mats. A few are sleeping, a few fidgeting and a couple whispering back and forth.
The women have their heads bowed, not minding the children.
"Did you hear about Cindy?" The dark haired woman asked.
"No. What about her?" Said the other, a dish water blond.
"She's pregnant."
The blond looked back at the other, did a quick scan of the room, then bowed her head in closer. "I had guessed that! When did she find out?"
The dark haired woman grinned at her news. "Not sure, it's on Facebook."
"Facebook." The blond made a dirty look. "Sounds like she decided to tell the world."
"Yeah."
"Well good for her I guess. Too bad she's only 20."
The dark haired woman looked over her shoulder. Two of the children were gone.

Test Prep 2

Assonance: is the repetition of vowel sounds to create internal rhyming within phrases or sentences, and together with alliteration and consonance serves as one of the building blocks of verse. For example, in the phrase "Do you like blue?"

Test Question-
Which of these phrases shows assonance?
1. The skirt is green.
2. Clouds are fluffy.
3. We feel free.

Test Prep

Alliteration: a literary device that repeats a speech sound in a sequence of words that are close to each other. Alliteration typically uses consonants at the beginning of a word to give stress to its syllable.
*makes poems more fun to read, sing-songy

This is an example from Edgar Allen Poe's poem, The Raven.
"And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain" -silken and sad are uses of alliteration

Test Question-
What is the alliteration in this line?
 Q-The horrible hairy hamster was full of life and raced around his wheel.

A- horrible hairy and hamster

Howl Imitation

I saw the minds of my generation in a flurry of different colors, shapes and sizes.

The new idea being sold is that everyone is beautiful in their own way, yet the models are still pencil thin and actresses the same.

People are trying to be individuals, told to be their own person. What a nice idea, but yet, deep down, we all still want to be accepted by the others around us.

I saw the minds of my generation gauging their ears and dying their hair green

Who claim to want work but instead stay at home and talk about it with their friends instead of going out to get it.

I saw the minds of my generation deciding to make somebodies out of themselves

Those minds going to college, taking classes and working hard to get their degrees

To change their lives, to maybe try to make a change.

The alcohol and sex are still evident, and sometimes abused, prominent in lives, along with violence, violence, and more violence. Everywhere, surrounding us all, in our media, in our cities, states, and countries.

Imagist

The Mustang

Thick flowing copper mane and tail, pounding over the earth,
a shimmer of  sunlight.

Sestina

The pavement was warming on the street
A little ting rang from the bell of a bicycle
The trees still had most of their leaves
The big, black dog was sleeping on the end of his chain
There was the lazy peddling of a child
He was in no hurry.


He had all morning not to hurry
Clinking down the street
On rode the child
Peddling along on his bicycle
A few houses from the dog on the chain
Running over a few stray leaves.


A gust of wind scooped up some leaves
The boy still didn't want to hurry
The big dog woke up on the end of his chain
There was a squeaky noise coming from the street
It was the bicycle
Carrying the silly little child.


The dog caught scent of the child
He could hear the brushing of leaves
The sound of the bicycle
It made him want to chase it in a hurry
Down the street
But there was the problem of this ridiculous chain.


The big, black dog strained against his chain
He could now see the child
Riding by on the street
He could see him through the leaves
The boy should probably hurry
Riding on the little blue bicycle.


The boy looked from his bicycle
The dog was pulling his chain
He realized now to hurry
The dog wanted to chase the child
The bike sent up a flurry of leaves
As the dog barreled toward the street


In car-chase style went the bicycle carrying the frantic child
The dog dragging  the chain, scattering the leaves
The boy flew to his house, Oh he must hurry, and in fast relief made it off the street