One fall day I went walking with a friend on a nearby trail. We were talking about the beauty of nature in autumn, pointing out this and that as we went along. The thought of a poem in the form of “This and That” played on my mind. So, I went home and wrote this fall poem in simple rhyme. Winter begins in just four days, so I thought it would be fun to write a poem in the same style to celebrate the season. Happy winter!

This unique version of a This and That poem with distinct rules and irreverent English was created by poet and children’s author Danna Smith in 2020 on her blog, poetrypop.com. The rules are simple:

• Write four rhyming stanzas (16 lines total) (ABCB rhyme scheme).
• Alternate the words This and That at the beginning of each line.
• Throw proper English out the window (ah, that feels nice for a change!). Feel free to twist words, and use incomplete sentences (i.e., this bend of branches). You have permission to be totally free with your placement of words.

It’s the combination of creative sentences and imagery that makes this type of poem such fun to write (and read!). The This and That format works for any occasion. Think new baby, engagement, birthday, wedding, illness, gardeing…you name it.

THANKS FOR POPPING IN

I hope you’ll give a This and That a try and share your poem or comments below (scroll way down).

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