Howdy folks.
I’ve been writing poetry for a while now and most of the time, I’ve just pointed my brain at a random prompt or flight of fancy and let myself go with it.
However, I thought it was about time I introduced a little structure into my poetry pies (I lurve ma food!)
There are an absolute ton of fascinating poetic forms out there for me to sink my teeth into and I thought it would be fun to have a go at all of them over time.
So, why don’t we start with the letter A covering both Abstract and Acrostic (you get twice the bang for your buck, that’s a lot of bang in anybody’s book) and use this excellent prompt I spotted in the WordPress archives:-
“Create a short story, piece of memoir, or epic poem that is 26 sentences long, in which the first sentence begins with “A” and each sentence thereafter begins with the next letter of the alphabet. Photographers, artists, poets: show us ORDERLY.”
Now that’s all well and good for Joe Average but for people like you and me who like a bit of spice in their life (you saucy mare you), we need something stronger to get us off.
Therefore, allow me to present this magnificent poetic jobber, which is in fact an abstract double abecedarian/acrostic monster type hybrid, where you can read the alphabet both at the beginning and the end of each line, whilst being prompted by the theme of being orderly on every fricken line – cool eh?
So, you want epic do you WordPress, you cheeky monkey you? I’ll flippin’ well give you epic until the handle falls off.
You’re welcome.
That’s right, welcome.
Welcome to the Acrostapocalyse! (patent pending)
(And don’t have nightmares, do sleep well)
Abstract Acrostalyptica (by David Ellis)
Arranging life to fit the whims of others, a chimerical, misguided nirvanA
Businesslike in one’s actions, verbosely brusque, a sensual ancient proverB
Chaos ensues, tragic, a waterfall on the senses, potent aphrodisiaC
Disciplined enigmas, on a fatal collision course, heralded, foretolD
Exact hits the spot, absolute, to the point of being just adequatE
Framed for crimes of being yourself, guilty of a Mexican StandofF
Guided by a groovy hedonistic beat, so alluring is the rhythmic cravinG
Harmonious in gesture but sequestered in saucy chutzpaH
Immaculate, delicate nature but still naively greener than any broccolI
Juggling with all of these thoughts that spin, rub, scratch, maniacal DJ
King of all you survey, there are worlds you must conquer, quicK
Logical though it may seem, lucidity a fleeting dream, exhilarating cocktaiL
Meticulously flowing, a stream for all seasons, fiercely gaining momentuM
Neatly numbered numbness, too rigid means denying any chaos is inhumaN
Overseeing judgement calls, future conundrums rage, a runaway tornadO
Painstakingly firm, love’s beacon shines through, bittersweet backdroP
Qualities employed without fear of searing the conscience like a BBQ
Rational, romantic ideals struggle for the right audience, they overpoweR
Sandwiched plainly between an illustrious crust, fervent lust procrastinateS
Tethered, tranquil insidiousness runs deep into vulnerable veins, reticenT
Unmistakeable intensity, threatening to engulf, consume before its plateaU
Veracious creatures we are, manipulating feelings, a play worthy of ChekoV
Working in subtle ways, defining ourselves, pieces missing, perfect jigsaW
X-Rays of our lives highlight crystal clear hues, an ornamental paradoX
Years yielding an essence flavoured by positive actions have no boundarY
Zodiacal, we’re animals, embracing the nature of our characters with pizazZ
For more posts that are even more epic than this one (Ha! I’d like to see them try! No, just kidding, there are some real gems here for sure), check out these little beauties from my fellow blogging buddies:-
1. DP: A To Z | Experimental Fiction
2. Daily Prompt: Orderly | Books, Music and Movies : my best friends
3. daily post challenge: A-Z | FamousFeline
4. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Under the Monkey Tree
5. Strangers – An Alphabet Poem (Daily Post Response) | Maggie’s Writing
6. A to Z | Danny James
7. Daily Prompt: A to Z – American Alphabet | SERENDIPITY
8. Orderly William Butler Yeats | Daily Prompt: A to Z | Ireland, Multiple Sclerosis and Me
9. Alaphabetic Poetic Simplistic | Sincerely, Ms. Roberts
10. Daily Prompt – A to Z | Kate Murray
11. Daily Prompt: A to Z | “The Ish,” presented by the Bohemian Rock Star
12. An Alaphabetic Poem | Sincerely, Ms. Roberts
13. Daily Prompt: A to Z « Mama Bear Musings
14. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
15. The Epic of Man in Alphabetical Order | Liars, Hypocrites & The Development of Human Emotion
16. A-Z of Depression | The Magic Black Book
17. Summer Storm | Sparkled Vision
18. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Just Like No One Else
19. Daily Prompt: A to Z | I Work for a Jerk
20. Witness to My Jagged Edges | The Seeker’s Dungeon
21. Word Press Challenge~ A~Z | aliceandmolly
22. A Tale of Trust and Temperament | windandlaughter
23. day nineteen: a to z. | dream in pastel colors
24. Daily Prompt: A to Z – The Summer Plot « IF I ONLY HAD A TIME MACHINE
25. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Live Life in Crescendo
26. What ya wanna do? | The Geeky G4mer
27. All The Best Stories | Maggie’s Stories
28. Friendships Take Time To Germinate | The Jittery Goat
29. Daily Prompt: A-Z “Friends” | Mama Spaghetti
30. Storm (A-Z) | Hekau: Words of Power
31. Alphabetical challenge | Sue’s Trifles
32. Daily prompt: A to Z | I BELIEVE
33. DP: Poem About Abuse…from A to Z | The Abuse Expose’ with Secret Angel
34. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Morrighan’s Muse
35. Dear Acrobats, | Cat Over Clock
36. X marks the spot | Master Of Disaster
37. Happy (Early) Birthday | Sorta-Ginger
38. Everything You Need To Know A To Z (In Song Titles) | Cheri Speak
39. A bemused and bizarre A to Z | Notes from a gay mentalist
40. JUST BEAT IT | It’s Just Me
41. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Life on Ice
42. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Sitting on the Porch
43. A Day in the Life of Albert Beddington (Short Fiction) | meanderedwanderings
44. The Alpha Bet | Scraps of Paper
45. Story about Albert and Claudia | My thought exactly…!
46. Thinking Disordered | clarior e tenebris
47. downtownnokomis
48. After Zen | Nicki
49. No One Said It Had to Make Sense | On the Homefront
50. A-Z of Equality: The United Hates of Anxiety | writemybrainsout
51. Day 208: Google | 365 Days of Thanks
52. Running Off the Week: A to Z | chasing mailboxes d.c.
53. The World: An Acrostic | djgarcia94
54. Necromancer | Blog of the imaginator
55. Hansel and Gretel A-Z | Angelyn’s Crimes of Passion
56. Staying in Focus: Daily Prompt a – z: A Big Clumsy Dog | Staying in Focus
57. Staying in Focus: Daily Prompt a – z: A Big Clumsy Dog | Staying in Focus
58. Error of His Ways | It’s a wonderful F’N life
59. The Alpha Female | Mark Evans
60. A Rescue Poem From A to Z | Haiku By Ku
61. the a-to-z of writing | sarahscapes
62. In Search of Place and Time: A-Z | marsowords
63. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Exploring Utah with MS and Apples
64. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Motherhood and Beyond
65. Easy as 1, 2, 3 (High School) | A Day in the Life
66. Growing Into a Life of Singledom | ordinarytravels
67. Dis-Orderly | Rebecca Barray
68. The ABCs of Longing | loveletterstoaghost
69. [BeraniCerita #22] Meniti Tangga Kepastian | Rini bee
70. Cisca and I | Life is great
71. ♈ 25 mile perspective ♈ | The RunningFather Blog
72. Montreal Blues | Veronica Louis
73. A To Z – Love, Sex & Poetry – Daily Prompt | Linda Long Writes!
74. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Lancing a Windmill
75. War | Daily Prompt | Word Disorder
76. My Alberta | rdc17
77. Dreaming from A to Z | pen . paper . storm
78. Flash Fiction: Just the Way We Always Were (352 words) | apprentice, never master
79. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Overcoming Bloglessness
80. Daily Prompt: A to Z by BlameyLee | blameylee
81. Daily Prompt: A to Z | The Daily Post « The Blogging Path
82. A Story from A-Z | Journey to the Centre of My Heart
83. short alphabet poem: life & times | just another outlet
84. A Deflowering, From A To Z | Compass & Quill
85. Zoom Skid Crash Bang | draliman on life
86. Daily Prompt: Acrostic | Cytherean Dreams
87. off the cuff | dogandteapot
88. Back to School | Feit Can Write
89. Lorata, A-Z | Legends of Lorata
90. Daily Prompt A-Z > This Business of Naming Babies | From Ground to Home
91. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Seeking the kindness in your heart. | Jazryllelel
92. Day 356. Twenty-Six … | Three Hundred Sixty-Five
93. A to Z: The Big Party Invitation! | Rowan’s Blooog
94. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Whimsical Eclecticist
95. 26 Sentences- A-Z. A short story | ‘Work Out’ each Day
96. A to Z challenge | Dory’s World
97. Daily Prompt: A to Z (The Steed and the Storm) | The World According to Lisa
98. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Joe’s Musings
99. Tree My Friend | Mad Pot
100. Daily Prompt: A to Z | huntprayerpoems
101. A Day at the LRT | Daily Prompt: A to Z | likereadingontrains
102. a love story, by alphabet | bodhisattvaintraining
103. This Is My Story: Daily Prompt A to Z | Follow What You Love
104. Daily Prompt: A to Z | TantienHime’s Blog
105. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Let There be Peace on Earth
106. A to Z | The Nameless One
107. Alphabetical Argument | Breathing Space
108. Raconter une histoire de A à Z – Daily Prompt | Miss Donut
109. A-to-Z of Me | Script Under Construction
110. Daily Prompt: A to Z–The job switch | Things I See and Know
111. Alice to zeal | five minutes a day
112. Getting Schooled By The Alphabet | Goodbye Whoopee Pie
113. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Burning Fire Shut Up In My Bones
114. A Boring Contribution Does Everything Fine | theeyelife
115. July 27 Daily Prompt: A to Z | Family, Photos, Food and Craft
116. Daily Prompt: A to Z | The Eye Doctor is OUT
117. A to Z | Geek Ergo Sum
118. An Open & Shut “A to Z” Caper | Spirit Lights The Way
119. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Jake Kuyser
120. The Magnet…from A to Z. | Magnet for Foolishness®
121. Alphabet Alliteration | I Didn’t Just Wake Up This Morning with a Craving
122. grungegirl1994 | A to Z Daily Prompt
123. Daily Prompt; A to Z | Sherry’s Space
124. Week One: 30th July 2013 | A Poem and a Drawing a Week
125. Des Fischers Auge | Daily Prompt: A to Z
126. Reading A to Z in the Daily Post | A la lueur du lampadaire
127. Daily Prompt: A to Z | A la lueur du lampadaire
128. The sin of silence | Expressions
129. Apocalypse « George Saba
130. UBC Day 31 : The UBC Journey from A to Z » A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose!
131. Daily Prompt: A to Z / Morning Walk | Musing Off the Mat
132. Daily Prompt: A-Z | Crazy Beautiful
133. Daily Prompt: A to Z | Edward Cares
134. Random Daily Prompt: A to Z « Completely Random Thoughts
toofulltowrite (I've started so I'll finish) 
WOW! Your poem is amazing!! I am in awe. Thanks for the shout-out, but really, I think the floor is yours alone.
What a lovely comment – thank you Fransi very much, you have made me swell with pride!
🙂
Nice job! 🙂
Thanks Julianne – it was hard work but very rewarding and I’m glad you liked it. Nice to see that I’ve still got it in me!
There’s nothing like making a challenge even more difficult! Sue
I know Sue, I didn’t think it through until I got to awkward words like J & Q thinking “What the hell am I going to do for these words” but the boy did good in the end!
Thanks for following Sue’s Trifles. Sue
impressive
Thank you for the compliment Olga, very much appreciated.
Thank you for the mention! Your poem is truly epic!
Hey there George, thanks for reading the poem mate and for the nice comment too, very much appreciated.
Whoa! I am totally impressed with this poem! It goes far beyond anything that I read so far! And you have the letters on the other side! Four thumbs up!
Four! Lol magnificent – thank you for reading mine, not as funny as yours but I’m still proud of it and ecstatic with your lovely comment – I appreciate it.
😀 YAY!
very well done
OMG… letters on both sides?? How much do you like self flagellation?? Alot! LOL…
Lol – I think it was tough because it was the alphabet. If it was another word, it might be a bit easier next time round!
Wow!!! Very impressive!!! How long did it take you to write this???? BLOWN AWAY (Oh, and thankyou for checking-out me blog) 😀
You’re welcome Anna, glad to have found your blog 🙂 The poem took me 4-5 hours, it was a tricky one but I’m glad who I managed to finish the challenge. I never realised how difficult it would be to get both sides to match!
Wow!!! 4-5 hours??? On one post?? Dedication!!! 🙂 Wow!!
Exactly! Most posts take a couple of hours to write and then beat into shape. Plus I now have a very demanding day job, which is why I don’t post as often, so when I do, I like to try and make them all epic!
Very good acrostic.
Hey thanks! Still think yours rocks harder than mine though 🙂
That’s really brilliant, well done. 🙂
Thanks for reading it Nicola, glad you enjoyed it.
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Wow, just wow, that was pretty darn impressive to a novice poet like me. 🙂
Nothing novice about your efforts at all Jackie! Thanks for the praise again 😉 I need to catch up with yours too, bit tired, had to be up at 4am for work, am feeling it now!
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