Poetry Verse Writing
Poetry Verse Writing(and adapting general verses)
Welcome to our Writing Own Verses and Poems Page which is sponsored by Imag-e-nation - The Home of Card Making
FREE TO USE PROVISO If you are a Crafter or Private Individual you are free to use these verses, poems and wordings, without asking permission...These poems and verses are also free to crafters in Card Making and Scrapbooking who sell cards / pages ona semi commercial basis (i.e. sales of not more than 50 cards / pages per week) but note copyright law applies to* the body of work in parts and as a whole * individual verses, poems so far as commercial companies are concerned
Card Making and Scrapbooking are wonderful pastimes and the end product, the handmade card or scrapbooking page is such a lovely thing for someone to receive. The recipient is entitled to feel special because the card / page was tailor made for them.To do justice to the specialness of the card/page, shouldn't the same personal touch be applied to the poem or verse? This section is to help those who need it to write original verses and/or to personalise general or traditional poems or verses. It is not about writing poetry in general so it doesn't deal with, for example, rhythm (metre) or form in any detail. You might try a very good book by Stephen Fry called The Ode Less Traveled or for a very nice piece, online, CLICK HERE It is aimed at children but useful for all Poetry Verse Writing _______________
RHYMING SCHEME There are many different rhyming schemes and forms and some even have their own names, like sonnet, limerick and clerihew but let's leave all the clever stuff to skilled rhymesters, who do not need to be reading this. Verses or poems do not have to rhyme and if there is something very moving, poignant or important to say it's not worth trying to contrive a rhyme for it's own sake. It has been said that free verse (non rhyming) favours the serious while rhymes are suited to humour or light material. I tend to favour rhymes for card verses as they are usually, but not always, light and in any case I have found that seeking a rhyme has often led to additional poignancy.
The rhyming scheme I use for card verses (and would recommend even toclever clogs') isA any word Let's start with a Wedding Day (Engagement) verse, chosen at random:
May this day of your Wedding (or Engagement) The simplest way to personalise it, is merely to add the recipients' names in the first line :-
Maureen and Bill, may your wedding day Or you could 'steal' the rhyming words of "laughter" and "after" but, otherwise, completely rewrite the verse in your own style, for example
Once upon a time, (you two met) (you met your Prince / Shining Knight) (The "Happy Ever After" ending inspired the introduction "Once upon a time" and then to the fairy tale idea.) With a little amendment this verse can also be an Anniversary verse :-
Once upon a time, you met Or an engagement verse by changing the third line to:-May your engagement continue the fairy tale The fairy tale theme can also be used on the card front You could also use the rhyming words in a completely different verse category, in this case, a work colleague get well card ;-
We're sorry you're feeling poorly, Bill or a Christmas card :-
May your Christmas be very merry Now I'm not saying that 'laughter' and 'after' are classic rhymes...there are only 5 words that rhyme (or 6 if you include BAFTA) but it shows what can be done with even this restrictive sound So let's take a sound, filthy rich in rhymes
The 'ee' sound words, easily, are the biggest, by far, numerically The 'ee' sound certainly has the most rhyming words but it's not necessarily the most used in card verses.However, because there are so many rhymes it means you could, if you wish, break away from the ABCB rhyme scheme and write a verse with every line,and even within the line, rhyming just as I did...here's a couple of card verse examples
Here's us... hoping avidly ..or
Here's hoping very avidly I bet you're thinking "he gave us a rule and then broke it". Well no, I'm nottaking back what I said at the beginning; that format would be difficult tousewith other less numerous rhymes.From here on in, I shall be sticking rigidly to ABCB
Poetry Verse Writing
USEFUL TEMPLATES
Here's a simple ABCB template
Da da da da da da You can use this for any occasion, for example Christening
Its Billy Junior's Christening Fathers Day
Dad, you're my Superhero Retirement
Old Billy Atkinson, you're past it Get Well
With the warmest of wishes
There's 80 or so words where no rhymes exist, yet people always pick outorange as the word that nothing rhymes with. What I say is, it mattersnot...just don't use such words at the end of the 2nd and 4th lines.As we know, anything can be said in the 1st and 3rd lines and in the middle of the 2nd and 4th lines So, using this template :-
David Dickinson, orange birthday boy Massively exaggerated, but point made, I hope Here's another template that could be used for any occasion,
This is a special hand-made card, Bill The 3rd line can deal with the occasion For Retirement: You've earned retirement, so enjoy it, mateFor Christmas: Have the very bestest ChristmasFor Good Luck: The best of luck (in your new job) And yet another generic template
You're all grown up, now (dear Son) (Grandson) Poetry Verse Writing
USING THE PERSON'S NAME It goes without saying that the most personal thing you can use in the verse is the recipient's name and if the recipient has a good rhyming name you have the choice to: * use it in the 1st or 3rd lines, like the one above where Bill's name isused at the end of the 1st lineor....* use it at the end of the 4th line, for greater effect Hope this and your next birthday's happy,And the whole year in betweenThis verse and card were especially madeJust for you Maureen If you, the hand made cardmaker, are lucky enough to have a good rhyming name then you can use your name at the end of the 4th lineSo, if Bill and Maureen, wish to say Happy Birthday to Bill's Uncle Joshua
Happy Birthday, Uncle Joshua If the sender does not have a good rhyming name, no problem
Our nephew Pete's a great bloke
If the name (Sunday name or shortened name) is no good for rhyming, how about the initial?
This card is sent to say....
On this your Wedding Day...
A, J and K Q, U, W ado, accrue, barbeque, blue, brew, boo, canoe, chew, cue, clue, do, flew, gnu, glue, grew, hue, Hugh, hullabaloo, in lieu, jew, kangaroo, loo, moo, new, ooh, pew, queue, rue, Stu, spew, stew, screw, true, too, two, woo, you, YooHoo, zoo ...to name but a few
or, you could invest in, for example, Chambers Rhyming Dictionary £7.99 Or you could go to this fantastic websitewww.rhymezone.com
Poetry Verse Writing
USING NUMBERS
Numbers can be used as a personal factor (for age or years together or address) and sometimes they can be used in the 2nd line as a rhyme:
We wish a Merry Christmas
How many years together?
The numbers up to ten are pretty good for rhyming except 7,there's "heaven" "eleven" "Devon" and "Kevin" and little else. When it comes to rhyming with twenty, there's plenty. By that I mean there's only one, the word "plenty" The person's age can be used to rhyme, for example 'eight' rhymes nicely with 'celebrate', as in:-
Today's a very special day However, there's no need to be locked in to rhyming with the number...simply put the age anywhere but at the end of the second or fourth lines eg:
You've grown up very (pretty) (handsome) The special ages of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80...are not good for rhyming butwhen used as "the big three-O", "four-O", "five-O" and so on, the rhyming possibilities greatly increase. The -oe- sound has lots of simple rhyming words/expressions like ago, get-up-and-go, from-top-to-toe, show,slow and so on.
Congratulations, Billy While on numbers, it is useful to use, for example, 39 for anyone over 40:
Happy Birthday (Billy) Or
You've outgrown my lap, but not my heart Or use the same approach for, not just the recipient's age but the sender's as well:
You're (24) already, (son)
So let's make a deal together And bringing Granny into the ruse
I heard about your mother's deal Poetry Verse Writing
THE -UE- SOUND
This 'ue' sound is often used in card verses, particularly using the words"true" "too" "you". "You" is often used at the end of the 4th line The obvious example is the old chestnut
Roses are red Ending a card verse with "you" is very useful for obvious reasons.For example:
At the family's heart is Mother ..or
You're a caring, sharing person ..or
We wish you all the very best Poetry Verse Writing
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 4th LINE The humour or poignancy is usually best left to the 4th line and that often means using the 2nd line as the feed in.Work out the last line for best effect then be prepared to sacrifice the 2nd line for the sake of rhyming. The example template is a case in point where the 2nd line is:"This card is sent to say"Although the 2nd line is often a throwaway, occasionally, a gem emerges eg:Looking for a feed to "He was flat out on the floor" there wasn't a lot of choice in suitable rhymes and when "war" was considered, the verse emerged as:-
Does Billy like to take a drink?
I talked earlier about personalising general verses but sometimes generalverses just don't fit. A card manufacturer will not write verses for veryspecific things like someone going into hospital for, say, a hip replacement.A generic "Get Well Soon" verse doesn't really fit the bill. That's wherethinking of the ending and then working backwards really works, so:
This card is sent to cheer you ...or
A shop bought card saying" Get Well Soon" ...or
We know the op's a pain in the bum
When those piles are gone forever!
There are occasions when just the right feel to the verse is required and the fourth line is the starting place. The following verse was used in a sympathy card from a group, in this case a rugby team to a former team member, and the collective sentiment had to be appropriate.The last line chosen was "In our hearts, you'll be there"So the verse:-The final whistle's come too soon
A good 4th line ending is " very much" as in I love you very much orThank you very muchnot an easy rhyme but there's "loving touch" or "such and such" or "my rock, my crutch"Here's a couple of examples
You're really very naughty
(Jeremy) have a lovely day
Take your place by her side
She knows that you love her too And since this is about writing personalised verses for hand made cards the second line "This card is hand made, not bought" can be used as follows:
To say (Daniel) (Mrs White) you're special
We'll miss you so very much
May your 15th year be your very best
I wasn't always well behaved Poetry Verse Writing
FATHERS DAY
Some useful rhyming words for Dad add, mad, lad, glad, sad example template
You were always there as I grew up Suggested second lines
You taught me good from bad The third line doesn't need to rhyme so can be anything
eg:-You were my rock to lean on __________
Poetry Verse Writing
USING SHARED CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS Birthdays shared with a Celebrity can be a useful source of inspiration forboth the theme of the design and also the verse inside.For example, if you were making a card for a man who is keen on cars, and driving generally, and his birthday happened to be 17th September you would have really struck lucky because your man shares a birthday with, not just Damon Hill, but Stirling Moss as well.Similiarly, a keen golfer born on 9th February shares a birthday withSandy Lyle and Bernard Gallagher. Here's all the doublers found so far
22nd Jan Boxers Nigel Benn & George Foreman
Billy's birthday is 22nd Jan
Billy, you're argumentative Of course it can work just as well with just one celeb or two distinctlydifferent ones.Lets take Bob who's birthday is 6th May, so:-
Bob, you're such a smooth talker That template can be used for anybody, so lets take Billy's brother Ben's birthday
Ben, you're such a football nut Notice the second line ending can vary, as in:-
* And you've always been a swot And Billy's brother Bart(23rd April)
It's your birthday and St George's Day More variations on the theme..
It's (Celebrity Name)'s birthday ..or perhaps, it's more fun to be sarky
It's (Celebrity Name)'s birthday
You share a birthday with (Celebrity Name)
It's your's and (Celebrity Name)'s birthday Poetry Verse Writing USING THE CHINESE CALENDAR The Chinese believe that the animal ruling the year in which a personis born has a profound influence on personality saying "This is the animalthat hides in your heart"There are 12 animals and so each animal features every twelve years.The following table covers the period 1924-2007 Rat 24 36 48 60 72 84 96Ox 25 37 49 61 73 85 97Tiger 26 38 50 62 74 86 98Rabbit 27 39 51 63 75 87 99Dragon 28 40 52 64 76 88 00Snake 29 41 53 65 77 89 01Horse 30 42 54 66 78 90 02Sheep 31 43 55 67 79 91 03Monkey 32 44 56 68 80 92 04Rooster 33 45 57 69 81 93 05Dog 34 46 58 70 82 94 06Boar 35 47 59 71 83 95 07 We all know a rat or two, thankfully the occasional tiger (but note,Tiger Woods, ironically, is a rabbit), a few snakes (in the grass),several sheep, the odd cheeky monkey & more dogs than you canshake a stick at. And here's a template verse
Today, you're (30), born in ('74) If it happens to be tiger, and if it's appropriate, what about....
So, birthday (boy) Here's some other endings
Happy birthday, you dirty rat You'll have to come up with your own for rooster Strictly speaking, it is about the year of birth but the concept needn't beconfined to just birthday cards. Anniversary cards could use this theme,the year representing the birth of the subject's marriage. Poetry Verse Writing
IN CONCLUSION We hope this has given you a few ideas or, at least, expanded your options.Although all these example verses are available for card makers to use, this whole piece on writing personalised verses is copyright of Jon Bratton 2007,and individual verses may not be used by commercial companies.
Poetry Verse Writing
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