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Sample Companion Poems
Sample Companion Poems
Before writing a "companion poem" you must 1st develop a connection to someone else's poetry.
Once you have a connection to a poem, you can start writing your companion poem.
A companion poem is a poem that is inspired by and written with the intention of alluding to another poem.
Style
Style
Your companion poem should
Be an obvious reference to the original poem. You can do this by either...
1) mimicking the poet's style and form
OR
2) creating a title that makes an allusion to the original poem (much like Hughes' "I Too Sing America")
Content
Content
A companion poem can be any of the following. You may come up with a concept that I haven't listed too.
Tell a similar story from your own experiences
a sequel to the poem you read
a poem that tells the same story, but from a different point of view
a poem that responds to the theme of another poem
Whitman/Hughes
Whitman/Hughes
This assignment was inspired by Langston Hughes' "I, Too, Sing America"
I Hear America Singing (1900)
by Walt Whitman
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,
Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,
The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,
The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,
The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,
The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,
The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,
The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,
Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,]
The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,
Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.
I, Too, Sing America (1945)
I, too, sing America. I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen When company comes,
But I laugh, And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow, I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me, "Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
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