Poetry for Everyone

ResearchGuy

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After a recent revelation that poetry need not have meter or rhyme, I have turned some extracts from policy reports into poetic form (meaning that the lines do not go all the way to the end). Read in the proper tone of voice, with nuanced intonations, this works. I can understand why some folks disdain all the old conventions of poetry. (Heh.)

The Poetry of Policy

“Mold”

During the 1990s, a series of
Widely publicized incidents and
Growing awareness of water-damaged
Indoor environments
Brought attention to the hazards of
Indoor mold growth.

“In Florida in the early 1990s,”
One expert has pointed out,
“Several new courthouses with moisture and mold
Growth problems were vacated and
Rebuilt with the repair costs
Exceeding the initial capital costs of the buildings.”


“San Joaquin Valley”

The eight counties of the San Joaquin Valley
Vary widely in population, area, population density, and topography.
Fresno, Tulare, and Madera extend well into the foothills and mountains to the east,
While San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, and Kings are more clearly
Confined to the valley.
Kern County extends well into the Mojave Desert on the east.

Countywide statistics,
Not to mention eight-county averages,
Encompass densely packed urban areas
As well as large, sparsely populated rural stretches.

“Employment”

Employment in the counties of the San Joaquin Valley
Has not stagnated over the last decade and a half.
There have been ups and downs over those years.
Some employment categories have declined
While others have risen, with each county
Having its own pattern.

But many jobs have been added
And some growth has been large.
This might be taken as a hopeful sign,
Not an indication of a fundamentally flawed economy,
Despite unemployment rates that stubbornly
Remain significantly higher than those of the state and the nation.

--Ken

P.S. Think the International Library of Poetry would give me a prize?
 

Albedo of Zero

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ResearchGuy said:
P.S. Think the International Library of Poetry would give me a prize?



Silly man, they only give pretend prizes. Don't they? Well at least you have a great chance at placing your poetry in one of its anthologies...if you buy the book.
 

Albedo of Zero

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Here's mine:


Horse Sense

With this colorful collection
of braided parachute cord
you
can mix
and match colors
or
have a complete set
at an affordable price.

Great for the beginning rider
or just
for everyday work.
 

Yeshanu

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This one wasn't hard at all. They were already halfway there:


Around in Circles

It's a supply chain.
It's linear.
It's circular.
It never stops.
It's a process.
It's ongoing.
It's ever evolving.
It's your business.

In today's competitive market,
you
you need
a global solutions provider
who
is as determined as you are.

We're with you —
every step of the way.

(Company name omitted, but I'll admit they (or at least their ad people) write good poetry.)
 

ResearchGuy

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Scavenging among my old pieces on educational technology, I find this poetic gem (with the lines made short so it is 'poetry,' and some capitals added and punctuation adjusted):

"Constructivism"

Constructivism maintains that
Knowledge is actively "constructed"
In the mind of the learner,
Not passively received.

For that reason, it is vital
That the learner be engaged
In a hands-on fashion
In the learning of any subject.

A contrasting view of education
Emphasizes the learner as
Receiving knowledge imparted
By a teacher and by books,
As a vessel to be filled with learning.

The constructivist view sees the learner as
Actively engaging with tasks,
From which knowledge
May be built.

It is not clear that in practice
The dichotomy has been so stark,
And both sides may have engaged
In misrepresentation and name-calling.

But that is a discussion
For another time.
 

Yeshanu

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I think this thread might get more takers in poetry, so with Mr. Haskins' permission, I'm going to send a copy of it to the poetry forum.
 

ResearchGuy

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Yeshanu said:
I think this thread might get more takers in poetry, so with Mr. Haskins' permission, I'm going to send a copy of it to the poetry forum.
Mmmm. Might not be received as rare and refreshing fruit* there, as I am satirizing those 'poets' who merely rearrange prose to look like poetry.

--Ken

*With apologies to P.G. Wodehouse
 

Yeshanu

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Mmmm. Might not be received as rare and refreshing fruit* there, as I am satirizing those 'poets' who merely rearrange prose to look like poetry.

We did discuss that in the Mod Squad room, and we'll be keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't turn into a flame war.

Then again, a flame war in the poetry forum might be amusing.

(Don't tell Will I said that... :tongue )

(ETA: Just went over to visit -- it's spawned an interesting discussion.)
 
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ResearchGuy

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Yeshanu said:
We did discuss that in the Mod Squad room, and we'll be keeping an eye on it to make sure it doesn't turn into a flame war.

Then again, a flame war in the poetry forum might be amusing. ...
There should be nothing to flame about ... it just a gimmick for no-talent hacks like me to create "poetry." Collateral damage will only relate to folks who really do confuse poetry with prose that has been chopped into short lines. (The idea was inspired by an encounter completely outside of AW.)

Anyway ... the results are funny. It is surprising what can look as though maybe it really was meant as poetry.

--Ken
 

poetinahat

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ResearchGuy said:
Collateral damage will only relate to folks who really do confuse poetry with prose that has been chopped into short lines. (The idea was inspired by an encounter completely outside of AW.)

Anyway ... the results are funny. It is surprising what can look as though maybe it really was meant as poetry.
Have you had a look at the other thread? You got it spot-on.

Any stock tips you'd like to share?