Need help with poetry

[Retribution]

My English teacher stupidly decided to assign my class a poem, while the majority of us have hardly ever written one before. Here are the exact directions.

 

Compose your own poem using the format Bradstreet(Anne Bradstreet, 17th century poet) used. Your poem should be a total of 12 lines and should describe your own family and your hopes and fears about family members individually or as a whole. Each line should have 8 syllables. The first two lines of each four line grouping(and the subsequent first two) need to rhyme with each other at the end of the line. Here's an example.

 

In silent night when rest I took,

For sorrow near I did not look,

I waken'd was with thund'ring noise

And piteous shrieks of dreadful voice.

That fearful sound of "fire" and "fire,"

Let no man know is my Desire.

I starting up, the light did spy,

And to my God my heart did cry

To straighten me in my Distress

And not to leave me succourless.

Then coming out, behold a space

The flame consume my dwelling place.

And when I could no longer look,

I blest his grace that gave and took,

That laid my goods now in the dust.

Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just.

It was his own; it was not mine.

Far be it that I should repine,

He might of all justly bereft

But yet sufficient for us left.

When by the Ruins oft I past

My sorrowing eyes aside did cast

And here and there the places spy

Where oft I sate and long did lie.

Here stood that Trunk, and there that chest,

There lay that store I counted best,

My pleasant things in ashes lie

And them behold no more shall I.

Under the roof no guest shall sit,

Nor at thy Table eat a bit.

No pleasant talk shall 'ere be told

Nor things recounted done of old.

No Candle 'ere shall shine in Thee,

Nor bridegroom's voice ere heard shall bee.

In silence ever shalt thou lie.

Adieu, Adieu, All's Vanity.

Then straight I 'gin my heart to chide:

And did thy wealth on earth abide,

Didst fix thy hope on mouldring dust,

The arm of flesh didst make thy trust?

Raise up thy thoughts above the sky

That dunghill mists away may fly.

Thou hast a house on high erect

Fram'd by that mighty Architect,

With glory richly furnished

Stands permanent, though this be fled.

It's purchased and paid for too

By him who hath enough to do.

A price so vast as is unknown,

Yet by his gift is made thine own.

There's wealth enough; I need no more.

Farewell, my pelf; farewell, my store.

The world no longer let me love;

My hope and Treasure lies above.

 

It's a test grade, so I can't just not do it. I can't think of anything, and would greatly appreciate some help.

[Herculine]

When's it due?

 

Of course it's against my scruples to write it for you, but I will try to give you my best advice.

 

Don't start out with the goal of trying to impress everyone; that's just putting unnecessary pressure on yourself.

 

To begin with, just sit down and write whatever comes to your mind and heart. Afterward you can go back and make changes and polish it. You'll most likely go through a few rough drafts. You have to start with a chunk of coal in order to get a diamond.

[Retribution]

The thing is, I think the topic is ridiculous. I can't come up with anything about it. The teacher is a terrible teacher, it's her first year teaching. Maybe if enough people don't do it, she'll realize how difficult the assignment is. The poetry class at my school doesn't do anything nearly this hard, and they actually have learned about poetry and written it before. Also, to hell with your scruples, give me as much help as you want to on it, I'd happily accept :P

[Herculine]

Perhaps then you should start by making a list of your family's hopes and fears, as the assignment requires.

[dezdimona]

My English teacher stupidly decided to assign my class a poem,

why is it stupid?

is she stupid?

is the assignment stupid?

perhaps poetry itself is stupid?

 

just curious is all,no offense intended,nor help either.

[jaosals42]

Okay, maybe you should take the poem and divide it into two-line segments. Count the number of rhymes per line and make sure they rhyme. Don't view it as a whole and that it must be all done at once. Again, take it two lines at a time and just follow the rest of the procedures. Since inversion is one of the major features of the poem you posted, it's something you should throw in as needed to help the assignment be a little easier.

[Retribution]

The assignment is stupid, and she is kind of stupid herself. I actually like poetry, I just can't write it.

[Retribution]

In the point allocation section, no points are assigned to content, only format and things like that. That means I don't have to write to her prompt. I just made up a simple limerick.

[Herculine]

Though we may not always like our school assignments, usually teachers have a reason behind the assignment, something they are trying to teach us. Sometimes I feel like blowing off my work too, but in the end my better judgement gets the better of me and I choose to put a genuine effort toward the assignment. If the assignment isn't due right away, maybe you could ask the professor who gave it to you for further guidance.

[Retribution]

She was a lawyer/law student her entire life until this year. She obviously knows a lot about English, but nothing about teaching. If you want someone to learn something, you don't just give them a ridiculous assignment hoping it will spur them to think about it in the right way. The assignment's due tomorrow, but I did it how she said, except for the content, which looks as if it has no weight on the grade.