Exploring Poetry Writing Exercises from Kenneth Koch
I Never Told Anybody by Kenneth Koch is a liberating book about how he, with the assistance of Kate Farrell, taught poetry writing to residents of the American Nursing Home in NYC in the late ‘70s. Many participants had never written poetry before but Koch struck gold as he teased out memories and metaphors with these wonderful exercises.
Back when I first used these exercises leading a public library poetry writing series I was a young woman and the participants were of all ages. Now I am an old woman, but I still remember the magic they evoked in our group of writers.
I thought it might be fertile and interesting to share some of Koch’s prompts with Medium writers. From time to time, I’ll select a prompt from the book, write a poem, and invite those interested to do the same.
Poetry Idea, Color: “Think of your favorite color or a color you like a lot, and write about what it makes you think of. Put the name of the color, if you like, in every line or so.”
Greening/All Paths Lead Me Back Here
Hunter green, darkly dazzling backdrop
to a forest scene makes the spring green gleam,
aubergine melting in scarlet spots pop,
caresses softly muttering woodland stream.
Spruce, pine, balsam sheen, deep, rich laurel green
triumphant over time, sharp conical rhymes
repeating, wind waving, speaking, leaning
stalwart waves in a storm-green sea betimes.
Your time, my time in the woods, our green time
warded by darkling stalwart sentinels,
quick then slow on dry needle paths sublime
looking up now and then to their green finials.
Sacred as bell towers, safe forest bowers,
green cathedral of love and shy flowers.
