Birds, Consonants, Vowels, Flight, and Kentucky Derby Pie

EXERCISE 036: BEGIN WITH THE END

Cirrus whispering

Anadiplosis is the rhetorical and poetic device in which words at the end of a line are in some way taken up at the beginning of the following line.

Write a poem of no more than twenty lines that uses anadiplosis, has four instances of end-rhyme, two birds you know the name of but couldn’t identify if you saw them, and some lyrics from a hymn.

Like some Exclamatory Paradise-Whydah, I set out to find heaven.

I traveled between and up to mountaintops.

Jumped through hoops and pulled out stops. 

I waded in water. I measured my steps. I searched for great faithfulness. I felt amazing grace. 

I heard the sound of one voice — sometimes that all it takes to breathe and know my pace.

Oh, King-of-Saxony Bird-of-Paradise. Oh, Invisible Rail.

Your majesties carry me to heaven.

Your bread knows sacred leaven.

You stitch and soar.

You are anchor and oar.

Oh, Tinkling Cisticola. Oh, Sandy Gallito.

Your majesties ground me in heaven on earth.

Precious birds take my hands. 

Build tables and nests. 

Guide dreams and quests.

Oh, Fluffy-backed Tit-Babbler. Oh, Kori Bustard.

We will know heaven by our love. By our love.

Love divine. All loves excelling.

On wings of angels we tell.

Abide we me.

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EXERCISE 037: CONSONANCE EXERCISE

A second eye

Write a sentence or phrase that is five to seven words long. Below it, write another sentence or phrase that is five to seven words long, but repeat a consonant sound from the previous line at least three times. Continue this filling a whole page.

She points toes taking a deep breath

Tick tock, tick tock, chimes the clock.

The sun rises revealing day

Sure, sound, sumptuous day.

Peaches, like summer, ripen 

Perfect, pit full, proudly glorious. 

Broken china with gold we mend

Chink, clink, crack we mend.

The bells herald an angel choir

Beautiful, bright, bold, begin again.

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EXERCISE 038: ASSONANCE EXERCISE

Pleasing to your ear

Just like yesterday, except today we’re focusing on repeating vowel sounds. Write a sentence or phrase that is five to seven words long. Below it, write another sentence or phrase that is five to seven words long, but repeat a vowel sound from the previous line at least three times. Continue this filling a whole page.

She peers around corners

being, cheering, nearing, hearing, and steering.

Building sandcastles from lollipops and marigolds

Hands palms deep. Tanned nose and shoulders. Grand plans for yet lived lives.

Creating bricks and statues. 

Quick melodies and miracles. Lipstick and lightening bolts. Breadsticks and ice cream.

Singing songs and hymns.

Searching to belong humming along 1000 fires strong.

Crying wet honest tears.

Soul that hears. Wisdom that clears. Heart that cheers. 

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EXERCISE 039: DROP AND DO TEN

Take flight

Describe a bird taking flight in ten ways, one sentence each, never repeating a word. Yes, including the word “the.” That is, write ten one-sentence descriptions of a bird taking flight. No repeats!

1. Wings flap and flight happens. 
2. Have feathers you will take off.
3. Leaving a nest the sky welcomes. 
4. Thoughts before soaring.
5. Our world opens up.
6. Walking in air.
7. Falling upward.
8. Hope above fear.
9. Eyes to heaven.
10. We grow, we fly.

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EXERCISE 40: SPEAKING OF SENTENCES

Break each rule

Write 21 different sentences that all follow three rules of your design (e.g. must have a direct object, must be in future tense, must use an action verb). Break each rule in three different sentences. And then break all the rules in one sentence. The rule-breaking sentences can be anywhere in the sequence.

We host an annual Kentucky Derby party. We make burgoo, bourbon balls, Derby pie, hot brown casserole, benedictine sandwiches, pimento cheese, corn muffins, and mint juleps. 

Kentucky Bourbon Pie 

(Southern Living recipe)

Make sure oven is 325 degrees. Place pie crust in pie dish. Mix pecans and chocolate chips. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate chip over piecrust. Mix corn syrup, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk corn syrup, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in sauce pan. Boil sugar mixture. Sugars dissolve. Dissolved sugars will be liquid. Whisk together eggs, butter, flour, bourbon, vanilla, and salt. Sugar mixture with egg mixture will need to be combined. In a pie dish, pour combined mixture over pecan and chocolate chips. Cover pecan and chocolate chip with combined mixture. Let pie mixture settle in pie crust. Once the ingredients have settled, place pie in oven. Bake pie in oven for 40 minutes. Remove pie from oven. Cool, Pie. Serve pie with whipped cream, as desired.

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