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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Blitz Poem

  • The Blitz Poem is an invented verse form found on line at Shadow Poetry, it was created by Robert Keim. As the name implies it is a rush of phrases and images with rapid repetition as if creating a sudden and intense attack on the senses. It is a kind of twisted Chain Verse. The Blitz is:
    • stanzaic, written in 25 couplets, a total of 50 lines.
    • unmetered. Lines should be short, but at least 2 words, like rapid fire.
    • unrhymed.
    • composed with words that are repeated from line to line in the following pattern:%5BLIST%5D.
      • L1 A short phrase, can be cliché.
      • L2 The first word of L1 is repeated as the first word of L2. From here on, the last word of the even numbered line is repeated as the first word of each line in the next couplet through L48.
      • L49 is the repetition of the last word of L48.
      • L50 is the repetition of the last word of L47.
    • unpunctuated.
    • titled, which includes the first words of L3 and L47.


Many Thanks to Judi Van Gorder for the above.



Here are the rules:
  • Line 1 should be one short phrase or image (like “build a boat”)
  • Line 2 should be another short phrase or image using the same first word as the first word in Line 1 (something like “build a house”)
  • Lines 3 and 4 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 2 as their first words (so Line 3 might be “house for sale” and Line 4 might be “house for rent”)
  • Lines 5 and 6 should be short phrases or images using the last word of Line 4 as their first words, and so on until you’ve made it through 48 lines
  • Line 49 should be the last word of Line 48
  • Line 50 should be the last word of Line 47
  • The title of the poem should be three words long and follow this format: (first word of Line 3) (preposition or conjunction) (first word of line 47)
  • There should be no punctuation
There are a lot of rules, but it’s a pretty simple and fun poem to write once you get the hang of it.




Many Thanks to Robert Lee Brewer for the above.

Example Poem:

Tarts to Party   (Blitz Poem)

pop some corn
pop some  tarts
tarts  tastes good
tarts needs heat
heat that tart
heat the cider
cider gets warm 
cider smell invites
invites the neighbor
invites neighbor's wife
wife is a tart
wife is a  friend
friend with benefits
friend indeed
indeed we're swinging
indeed we're singing
singing folksongs
singing Christmas Carols
Carol's the wife
Carol's now dancing
dancing on table
dancing with guys
guys like popcorn
guys like tarts
tarts are sweet
tarts get warm
warm the popcorn
warm the brew
brew some for me
brew some for you
you laugh and sing
you brought joy
Joy is single
Joy will mingle
mingle under mistletoe
mingle everywhere you know
Know she's a tart
Know fun's to start
start to hug
start to kiss
kiss the missus
kiss the miss
miss nothing
miss Trixie is here
here is the fun
here is the party
party on dudes
party hearty
hearty
dudes


© Lawrencealot - November 27, 2013

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1 comment:

  1. Interesting format and very free, it seems. Thanks for the example as well.

    ReplyDelete