Poetry form – blitz – Ariel, Pacific NW poet

Here is how you construct a blitz poem …

“As the name implies it is a rush of phrases and images with rapid repetition as if creating a sudden and intense attack on the senses. It is a kind of twisted Chain Verse”

Write the lines first & then the title. This is because a blitz title is plucked out from your lines. The title of the poem will be three words long and follow this format: (first word of Line 3) (preposition or conjunction) (first word of line 47)

Please note in a blitz , there should be no punctuation. I found it made transitioning to writing cummings-inspired poetry easier; I’m better able to release the framework of grammar structure & use deliberate placement of line more to create pauses and connections.

1) should be one short phrase or image (i.e. “Lead or follow”)

2) another short phrase or image using the same first word as the first word in 1 (i.e “Lead – but use your gas”)

3) short phrases or images using the last word of 2 as their first word – such as “Gas it up”

4) another short phrases or images using the same last word – like “Gas pedal down

5) short phrases or images using 4’s last word as their first words (“Down to floor”)

6) a second short phrases or images using the same last word as a first word (Down, engine revving “)

7 – 48) Continue in this pattern until you’so on until you’ve written line 46

47) TAke the last word of line 46 and use a first word (i.e.”Unknown, I’ll follow your lights”)

48) Take same last word and start another phrase or image (“Unknown. I open to following). The next two lines change it up and add a conclusion …49) the last word of 48 (“Following”)

50) the last word of 47 (“Lights”)

When completed it has a fast, stream-of- consciousness quality; sometimes frantic. This format was created It was created by Robert Keim.

Examples :

Note – it this one I added punctuation afterwards; it really punched it up several notches in impact. One of those times when polishing a poem requires breaking a rule …

You will notice my next blitz also breaks the rules … this time in its finale. I just found it to be a more honest conclusion; this poem detailed an ambulance ride I took so I went authentic on the last line.