This assignment is to write a poem in which the speaker refers to her/himself as "I" and addresses a particular "you."

The “you” could be a stranger or a fictional character; however, in this particular exercise I would recommend that it be someone you know, although this person doesn’t have to be someone still living.

It’s a good idea for there to be some need for the speaker to be talking or writing to the “you.” Ground yourself in a particular occasion, aware of setting, circumstances, time, and events. You may want to describe a certain time, place or experience in sensory detail in the letter. Since the voice, word choice, and described details are geared to a specific person, a stranger steaming open the “poem/letter” would have the feeling she/he was eavesdropping on something private.

The second part of this exercise is to polish the letter into a poem. The poem doesn’t have to be an actual letter, so it doesn’t have to begin “Dear X.”

Hints and Suggestions:

Even if the speaker doesn’t completely understand (at least at the beginning of the poem) why s/he has a need to be talking to the “you,” there should still be a sense of urgency about what is said. The voice of the speaker, the selection of details, the items included or conspicuously absent should all be determined by the relationship and circumstances
between the “I” and the “you” so, during the writing process, be very specific in your own mind about what’s going on between these two people, both at the moment of the writing and in the past. Where are they? Are they together or apart? Why? Were they together in the past? What is their story, together and/or separately? What occasion gets the speaker to begin at the moment of the poem?

Answering such questions will give the speaker a wealth of detail to draw on in the poem, and in turn will give the reader a means to enter into this world.

It is better and easier to have more details than you need and then to weed out the excess than to be forced to create from thin air in the midst of the poetry writing.

THE MAIN POINT OF THIS ASSIGNMENT IS TO ENCOURAGE A COMFORTABLE, NATURAL VOICE.

Unlike a real letter, your letter poem must mean something to a third party, the envelope-steaming-open readers, so you must include enough details that the reader knows what is going on. Obviously you don't want to include details that the “you” would already know. For example, you wouldn't say, “your name is Linda.” But you might say "Do you
remember, Linda, the last time we were together and you...."

One real pedagogical reason for this assignment?: It encourages a natural voice. Thus, remember the poem should sound like something a real person would say to another—only pithier.

A collection of poems you may at some point wish to track down is Richard Hugo’s 31 Letters and 13 Dreams.

This exercise was taken from course materials prepared by Judy Jordan,
Southern Illinois University