Project Proposal

1. I've been writing poetry for about seven years. I've always written when I was feeling upset, and my poetry would comfort me. I never really cared what people thought about my writing until this past year or so. I also began experimenting with different styles, because I got tired of the four-lined stanzas with the same abcb rhyme scheme. I aim to develop my poetic skills by reading other's poetry, dissecting song lyrics, and reading books on poetry. I'm excited to become a better poet, and I hope that fulfilling this project will do just that.

2. I will be learning how to write in different poetic forms, such as iambic pentameter, sonnets, haikus, etc. I will be training myself to be continually searching for topics to write about - especially while at school when poetry is the last thing on my mind. The research will include reading other's poetry from the Internet, magazines, and books, song lyrics, and books on how to write various forms of poetry.

3. I won't need any facilities, but I may ask the assistance of Edward Homick, aka Donnie Darkhorse, a published poet whom I have contact with. I don't plan on asking the help of anyone else besides seeking the opinions of fellow poets. As for materials, I'll need a scrapbook, construction paper, scissors, glue, inspiration, and a whole lot of time.

4. As I said before, I'll be learning how to write in different styles of poetry and learning to write about a diverse range of subjects. I'll be training myself to be inspired by daily life, which I am having a difficult time doing at the present. I will need to gain the knowledge of how to write in different styles. I will also be seeking inspiration which can be found only within my own mind.

5. The end product will be a portfolio with at least ten poems, descriptions of where the inspiration came from, and pictures/designs to make it pretty. If I don't write ten poems, I won't call this project a failure. This will only fail if I, myself, am not pleased with the quality of my poems. Quantity has no importance, but I would like to write at least ten good-quality poems.

6. I want to have gained the knowledge of how to write various kinds of poems by December so my bibliography will be completed in time. I aim to have all poems complete by January so I can dedicate the rest of the time to putting together the portfolio which should be completed by early February.

7. Research should take at least ten hours, possibly fifteen. Journal-keeping should take just as long, as I anticipate writing quite a bit in the journal. Making the portfolio should take five to ten hours depending on how detailed I am. I cannot give a specific amount of time I'll spend on writing poetry, because if I'm not inspired, I can't write. John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote decent songs on command in the back of their van and in busy pubs, but their true masterpieces came to them with time. Art cannot be rushed.

8. The only expenses will be for the scrapbook, paper, glue, and the valuable time I'll be wasting doing this project when I could be applying for colleges and scholarships, doing homework, and loads of more important activities.