During April I will try to update daily with new writing exercises and tips, links etc. Go National Poetry Month go!
For today's exercise we'll play around with feminine assonant rhymes/slant rhymes. Another way to say feminine rhyme is multi-syllabic rhyming, or, having two sounds rhyming instead of the standard one. Like: "If only I were just lonely."
Exercise 1: The Brainstorm
Pick two hard vowel sounds. /A/ as in Cake, /E/ as in Cheek, /I/ as in Bike, /O/ as in Choke and how about /oo/ as in Chew.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
For each vowel sound make a list of at least a fifteen words off the top of your head that are one-to-three syllables that have that sound. If your multi-syllabic word or phrase includes both sounds circle it. If you need help use Rhyme Zone.
Exercise 2: The Coupling
So now you have 30 words. Find at least eight pairs (repeat each word up to three times) that can work adjacent to each other and write a snippet/line/sentence that would put it into context. These can include your circled words if you're struggling to get eight.
Exercise 3: The Meditation
Pick your favorite two or more snippets that you think you can connect and think on how they could meet for a few minutes. Look back to your original lists of words and jot down at least eight that might be of use in the poem. They will season the sonics of your piece.
Exercise 4: The Construction
Now you have Point A and Point B connect them with the narrative aid of the words you'd written and construct your poem.
Alternate exercise: Five words
Use the following five words in a piece.
Calm, Leak, Polite, Establish, Injure
