Writing Exercise: “Ain’t There One Damn Song That Can Make Me Break Down and Cry?”

ENG 326 Writing Poetry: Intermediate
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Fall 2017

8/17 Writing Exercise: “Ain’t There One Damn Song That Can Make Me Break Down and Cry?”

1. Re-examine the lyrics of the favorite song you brought into class, and respond to the following questions in your writing journal:
   1. What genre is the song? What are the requirements (instrumentation, performance, subject matter, etc.) of a song in this genre?
   2. Do you recognize in this song any of the key poetic concepts/terms we went over earlier today in class? This might include figurative language, concrete language, cliche, etc. Try to identify at least two.
2. Beginning in class and continuing over the weekend, write at least one verse and chorus as an imitation of your favorite song.
   1. An imitation borrows one or more features of a work, including but not limited to structure and subject matter.
   2. In writing these lyrics, you must include at least two passages that exemplify the key poetic concepts/terms we went over in class today.
3. Share these in class next Tuesday. You can read them aloud or, if you’re feeling it, you (or a designated performer) can sing or rap your lyrics.
4. On Tuesday, we will discuss how listeners of music are often more equipped to read and write poetry than we initially realize, and then we’ll explore the ways in which we can develop these skills so that they are more conducive to the expectations of poetry readers.