As my grade-school-aged daughters came home from school today, the older one announced that today is Shakespeare’s birthday. She suggested I use that information with my business writing students during this evening’s class.

On short notice, I didn’t attempt to weave Shakespeare into a lesson on the characteristics of persuasive writing (though perhaps I could …). Instead, while my students worked on in-class assignments, I downloaded Twelfth Night to my Kindle app, snagged a screen shot, and scoured the lines for found poetry.

This may not be my strongest poetry form, but it certainly was a fun challenge. Happy birthday, dear William.

Musicians love play.
Give me that appetite
that my ear
breathes violets
so sweet as love
quick and fresh as the sea,
of pitch
so low
so high
you go …
what?