POETRY WEEK

UH OH…WE’RE GOING TO WRITE SOME POETRY!  When you think of poetry, what is your first reaction?  What do you like or not like about poetry?

DIRECTIONS:  Poetry doesn’t always have to be serious. Sometimes, poetry can be silly, whimsical, and even FUN!  There are five different poetry “stations.” Each one describes a type of poetry and provides an example. On your notesheet, describe the characteristics of each type of poetry. You will only have about 5 minutes at each station.  At the end, decide which type of poem you like best. Write me an original poem using your chosen type of poetry. It’s going to go on display, so make sure it is neatly written and is your BEST work. If you choose a haiku, you must write THREE (on the same sheet).

WHAT IS A SHAPE POEM?  A shape poem is a type of poem in which the poem is written in the shape of the object it is describing.  Shape poems are easy to write, fun, and can be about anything!

EXAMPLE

HOW TO WRITE A SHAPE POEM  Pick an object to write about.  Make a list of words and phrases which describe or are associated with that object.  Use those to create the outline of your poem. It might help to draw the outline of the shape before writing out the words.

WHAT IS A RECIPE POEM?  Recipe poems are “how-to” poems which are written like a recipe.  These types of poems include a list of ingredients, how to prepare them, and how to serve them.

EXAMPLE

A RECIPE POEM INCLUDES:  List of ingredients  Cooking tools (bowl, plate, fork, etc.)  How to cook it (oven, microwave, etc.)  How long to cook it for (2 hours, 2 minutes, etc.)  How to serve it (cold, with ice, with a side dish, etc.)  Who to serve it to (friends, enemies, teachers, etc.)  How many people to serve it to (10, 30, 400, etc.)

HOW TO WRITE A RECIPE POEM  Pick an object or event to “make.” Examples could include Recipe for: The Perfect Summer Day, The Best Homerun, The Worst Day of school, etc.  Think of what “ingredients” you need to make this event happen.  Write it as if you were making a recipe you would want someone else to follow.

WHAT IS AN ODE?  An ode is a poem in praise of a person, place or object.  Originally, the ode was a serious poetic form, but modern odes often are written in praise of the ordinary.

EXAMPLE

HOW TO WRITE AN ODE:  Decide on a person, animal, or object to write to.  Brainstorm his/her/its qualities, what you like about him/her/it, or a personal experience you have had with him/her/it.  Remember to directly address your subject!

WHAT IS A FOUND POEM?  A found poem is a poem made up of interesting, random words and phrases that you “find.”  These words/phrases can come from billboards, magazines, book titles, quotations – pretty much anywhere!

EXAMPLE

HOW TO WRITE A FOUND POEM  Choose random words/phrases sentences from the pile I have provided.  Paste these poems onto a sheet of paper (you might want to play with the order before using glue)  You can always change the order of the words/phrase or add filler words, if needed.

SLAM POETRY  What it is  Who does it  Competitions  Video clips

WHERE I’M FROM POEM  Where I'm From by George Ella Lyon   Student Example:

DIRECTIONS  Using the template as a guide, make a list of specific details related to you.  Select from your lists the items you want to include in your poem.  Make it personal - don't worry about readers not knowing what you're talking about.