A golden shovel is a lovely form of free verse - no rhyme scheme or set metre (rhythm) and a great form when you're not sure what you want to write about or what exactly you want to say about something: the quote gives you something to riff off and explore, and the end words shape your thoughts. As you write each line towards its end word, you follow the flow and discover what you want to say. It was invented by Terrance Hay.
Here's one of my golden shovels, using a snippet from a recipe for its quote.
Always in memory yellow and blue, the drizzle
grey backdrop cropped from last year, from the
year before: always in memory sunshine pooled like oil
around our feet, while this March slides slowly
through the mud. Knocking clots of clay from boots while
staring at the dwarf hyacinths you’ll remember, whisking
aioli in a hunger for scorched days and salt to
tingle the breeze – but this March too will emulsify
in thick folds of gold, as time drips into it.
The Meddling with Poetry course explores a host of different poetry forms, as well as the musicality of language, poetic imagery, and other aspects of the poetic. Absolute beginners and experienced writers are equally welcome. You can read more details and book a place here.
