“Hymns” by Charles Clegg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/glasgowamateur/
For day 9 of NaPoWriMo, we’ve reached the letter “H” in the alphabet, for “Hymn.” Traditionally, a hymn is a poem that praises God or the divine, and is often meant to be sung. While the Poetry Foundation page on the form includes some examples from the 17th through 19th centuries, many also consider Emily Dickinson’s poems to be written in hymn form. Consider writing a hymn to less traditional subjects, such as nature or love or something that inspires spiritual feelings.
Feel free to share your poem (or a link to your poem) in the comments.
About Alyce Wilson
Alyce Wilson is the editor of Wild Violet and in her copious spare time writes humor, non-fiction, fiction and poetry and infrequently keeps an online journal. Her first chapbook, Picturebook of the Martyrs; her e-book/pamphlet, Stay Out of the Bin! An Editor's Tips on Getting Published in Lit Mags ; her book of essays and columns, The Art of Life; her humorous nonfiction ebook, Dedicated Idiocy: How Monty Python Fandom Changed My Life, and her newest poetry collection, Owning the Ghosts, can all be ordered from her Web site, AlyceWilson.com. In late 2019, she published a volume of poetry by her third great-grandfather, Reading's Physician Poet: Poems by Dr. James Meredith Mathews, which also contains genealogical information about the Mathews family. She lives with her husband and son in the Philadelphia area and takes far too many photos of her handsome, creative son, nicknamed Kung Fu Panda.
