SONGWRITING

NAME:

THEME:

MAKE A LIST OF AT LEAST SIX WAYS THAT THIS THEME IS PRESENT IN YOUR LIFE. THESE CAN BE JUST
THINGS YOU'VE SEEN, THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO YOU, PROBLEMS YOU'VE EXPERIENCED, ETC.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAD TIME, I MIGHT WRITE “BEING LATE TO CLASS.” IF I HAD BETRAYAL, I MIGHT WRITE “MY
BEST FRIEND LYING TO ME.” THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS.

1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE THINGS YOU LISTED ABOVE AND WRITE ABOUT IT IN PROSE FORM BELOW. WHAT
HAPPENED? WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM OR CAUSE? SOLUTION OR AFTERMATH? WHO WAS INVOLVED?
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THEM? THINK ABOUT SENSORY DETAILS.

NOW, WRITE EIGHT LINES OF POETRY ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE. TRY TO MAINTAIN CLOSE TO THE SAME
AMOUNT OF SYLLABLES IN EACH LINE TO CREATE A SING-SONG METER. YOU CAN HAVE A STRUCTURED
RHYME SCHEME, AN UNSTRUCTURED RHYME SCHEME, OR NO RHYME SCHEME. IT IS UP TO YOU. PULL THE
MOST VIVID AND CRITICAL DETAILS FROM YOUR PROSE FORM OF THE STORY. THIS WILL BE YOUR FIRST
VERSE.
CHOOSE ANOTHER ONE OF THE SIX THINGS YOU LISTED AND WRITE ABOUT IT IN PROSE FORM BELOW.
REMEMBER, THINK ABOUT VIVID AND SENSORY DETAILS.

NOW, WRITE EIGHT LINES OF POETRY ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE. IT WOULD BEST TO MAINATIN SIMILAR
METER AND RHYME SCHEME TO YOUR PREVIOUS VERSE. THIS WILL BE YOUR SECOND VERSE.

THINK ABOUT HOW YOU FELT DURING BOTH OF THESE EXPERIENCES. WRITE A SIMPLE COUPLET (TWO
LINES OF RHYMING POETIC VERSE) RELAYING THIS TO THE READER. THIS WILL BE YOUR BRIDGE.

FINALLY, THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM BOTH OF THESE EXPERIENCES. WHAT WOULD ONE
GATHER ABOUT THE THEME FROM READING THESE EXPERIENCES? WRITE A QUATRAIN (FOUR LINES)
RELAYING THIS TO THE READER. TYPICALLY, THIS PART WOULD HAVE A RHYME SCHEME. THIS WILL BE YOUR
CHORUS.

NOW LET'S PUT IT ALL TOGETHER!

YOU MAY EITHER REWRITE EVERYTHING NEATLY ON ANOTHER
SHEET OF PAPER OR CUT OUT THE PIECES AND GLUE THEM ON
CONSTRUCTION PAPER. THE PATTERN WILL BE:

FIRST VERSE CHORUS SECOND VERSE CHORUS BRIDGE CHORUS