Poetry: Word Choice
Unlike fiction, poems require us to think about every word we use. One way to practice that kind of awareness is to write a short poem with a limited number of words. One form you can use to focus on word choice is a cinquain, which is a stanza or poem that only has five lines.
Exercise: One Word At A Time
Write a cinquain limiting the number of words per line to this pattern: 1-2-3-4-1. Each writer should alternate adding lines until the final line. For the last line, try to agree on one word that sums up the poem or circles back to the beginning. As a challenge, use a different numerical pattern to determine the number of words per line.