Question

Write a two stanza, eight-line poem in blank verse form that includes at least one use of enjambment. The verse does not necessarily need to be in iambic pentameter. It must, however, keep a consistent meter across all eight lines. After you have written the poem, read it and look for ways to improve it in structure, imagery, and details. Remember to also check it for errors in spelling and grammar.

Answer 1

The answer showcases an original two-stanza poem in blank verse form, encompassing consistent meter and enjambment, along with an analysis of how it can be enhanced.

Step-by-step explanation:

Blank Verse Poem Example

The lonesome sea breaks on the shore in waves,
While overhead the seagulls cry their plight.
The sun descends, a fiery orb that craves,
A touch of water, ending its broad flight.

In deepened hues, the sky paints its goodbye,
And in this tranquil scene, my thoughts find rest.
Encompassed by such grace, time seems to fly,
A peacefulness that sets my heart at best.

Explanation and Improvement

This poem embodies a stanza structure wherein two quatrains follow a consistent metric pattern. Noticeable within the first stanza is the use of enjambment where the sentence continues beyond the end of the line, creating a flow that mimics the continuous breaking of the waves. The choice to portray nature's spectacle at evening time conjures vivid imagery, inviting reflection and capturing calmness. To improve, one could focus on incorporating more varied sound devices - perhaps some alliteration or a subtle caesura to accentuate a pause or shift in the observational tone. The poem is free from spelling and grammar errors, maintaining a polished and thoughtful structure.

Answer 2

It little profits that an idle king, By this still hearth, among these barren crags Match’d with an aged wife, I mete and dole Unequal laws unto a savage race … That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

(By Alfred Lord Tennyson)