Library’s clinic helps participants craft poetry.
By: Donna Lukiw
After Manville Library Director Ed Smith reads "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer, children and adults participating in the library’s poetry workshop will be writing their own poetry while trying to mimic famous poets and their work.
Mr. Smith will hold more poetry workshops Tuesday at the Manville Library, between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. for children, and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. for adults.
"For the kids, I want them to have fun with it," Mr. Smith said.
During the workshop, Mr. Smith will hand out poems by Kilmer, William Carlos Williams and Pablo Neruda, while explaining the basics of poetry, haiku and sonnets.
Students will read "Paterson" and "The Red Wheel Barrow" by Williams, "Trees" by Kilmer and "Sonnett 49" by Neruda.
After each poem is read, Mr. Smith will ask the students to write their own poems on love, something in their back yard and a ship ride.
"It can rhyme or not rhyme," Mr. Smith said. "If they don’t want to write about trees then they don’t have to. I try to get them to focus on one object like trees or love.
"The exercise is to get them to think quickly," he added.
Mr. Smith said he picked three short and simple poems by two local authors and one author from Chile.
"I read the poem out loud first, then they read it out loud, we discuss it and then they write their own poems," Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Smith said the students will only have 10 minutes to write each poem.
For more information about the workshop call the Manville Public Library at 725-9722.

