Unit 4

Lecture

Writing List or Note poetry.

List or note poems can be very simple poems. They usually are considered poems because of their shape and content. They frequently use humor and the scenes turn unexpectedly making the reader pay attention. With lists more than notes, the lines are fragmentary – like a real list would be because we rarely use complete sentences and correct punctuation when writing a list. Line breaks are important in the note poem because of its short message and the poem depends on the line to structure it into a poem.

List poems make wonderful “found” poems – “found” poems are those lines you “find” from other sources that become a poem because of the oddness of the language used. For example: a list of book titles, names of tools, odd headlines from the paper.

Both list and note poems read aloud depend heavily on the voice of the reader. Unless important words are stressed the poem often looses its meaning and becomes a list, plain and simple.

About the Poem Content

List poems can have the following characteristics:

• fragmentary lines

i.e. can use abbreviated language, remember deadlines, appointments, phone calls to return or received, shopping lists, things to remember, etc.

• unexpected turns

i.e. in the middle of a grocery list – “I’m afraid of purple,” “The cat ate the gerbil,” or another item that doesn’t belong, but causes the reader to wonder what that means or it might turn into a list that takes the list in another direction or change the tone.

Note poems can have the following characteristics:

• form should be a catalyst for insight and stimulate the reader’s imagination.
• should reveal something unexpected
• show strong form
• can be used to tell someone something honest and surprising - for example “I have always hated the way you cook eggs”; “I want a pet monkey.”

The above characteristics are suggestions for your poem’s editing process. After you’ve drafted your poem for this unit you’ll want to go back through to see if the poem fulfills the expectations of the assignment. This is part of the editing process.

The first example is by Alex McNeal. Explication will follow.

"Notes"

Went to movies. Be back

11ish. Pick up some Lysol. Bathroom. Ugh!!!

Saw your old girl friend. Ugh!!!

We’re out of beer man. How Come?

Every lightbulb in this house

is out. Cool, uh?

Saw your ex again. Mind

if I call her. (Kidding.)

Why six jars of sauerkraut? Were they on sale

or have you gone funny?

I aced the psych test but I’m still

depressed.

Saw your ex again. She asked about you. Can you believe she’s a Road

Test Dummies freak?

Your mom called. No message. Sounded happy, as usual.

Your mom called again. Guess you didn’t get back.

Something about your dad. Better call.

Saw Kim again. She got a tattoo on her inner thigh. How come I know

that?

One lighbulb? Eight rooms? Cool.

Also see “Where You’re From” in Unit 3 for another example of a list.

Explication:

The next example poem is by William Carlos Williams. Explication will follow.

"This Is Just to Say"

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

so cold

Explication:

Links to other notes or list poems in the student literary journal:

The Rio Review – Spring 1998

Notes/Lists

Shack Man by J.T. Holtxa

hi eddie by Leora S. Levy

I Am I Am I Am I Am By Yvetta M. Limon

You Are You Are You Are You Are by Yvetta M. Limon

The Rio Review – Fall 1998

Notes/Lists

Blue Thoughts by Frank Cronin

I’m Afraid of: by Melanie Rene Griffith

The Rio Review – Spring 2000

Notes/Lists

But, Baby by Shawn Badgley

Reader’s Response 4

• Choose one of the student poems from the list above to read.
• Find at least 3 ways the poem fulfills the requirements of a list or note poem.
• Using cut and paste, send your examples from the poem to me.

Poem Assignment 4

• Read the student prose poems in the Rio Review for examples.
• Using any of the topics from the free writing exercises write a list or note poem.
• Give the poem a title.
• Make sure the poem is long enough to feel movement - a beginning, middle and end.
• Make sure your poem has the elements of a list or note poem as defined in the section – List or Note Poem

Send your poem to me.

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