Word Choice Spice up your poetry!

HOW TO USE WORD CHOICE THAT CATCHES THE READER'S You want your reader to see what you are writing about, but you have to create the images with words, not pictures. Be sure to follow the descriptors for word choice when you write. USE LANGUAGE THAT IS NATURAL AND NOT OVERDONE If you overdo the language or use language that just doesn't sound right, your reader will know you are "faking" it. In fact, you should avoid clichés altogether if possible. It is better to use something original than something everyone has heard or even said before. AVOID (unintentional) REPETITION Don't use the same word over and over. Use a thesaurus to find another way to say it. USE WORDS CORRECTLY If you aren't sure of a word’s meaning, look it up! Use not only a thesaurus, but a dictionary. Just because a word is a synonym for another does not mean they are interchangeable, so double check it.

USE POWERFUL ACTION VERBS He walked across the floor. (List as many ways as you can think of that he could have crossed the floor.) USE SPECIFIC, NOT GENERAL, NOUNS Be descriptive with nouns. Instead of saying, "the woman," give her name. Give the type of car. Instead of "football player," tell his position. Be as specific as you can. USE ADJECTIVES THAT ARE AS DESCRIPTIVE AS POSSIBLE Big, huge, and gigantic all mean the same thing, but gigantic is a better choice if you are describing a tyrannosaurus.

CREATE A MENTAL PICTURE WITH WORDS FOR THE READER Choose your words carefully. Look for the best word or phrase to describe what you are writing about. Similes and metaphors are good ways to describe something so your reader can picture it. Example: They were out of control, running all over the place. Simile: They had no more direction than a splattered egg. Example: The candle in the window helped us find our way home in the dark. Metaphor: The candle was a beacon in the night. AVOID VAGUE, BORING, AND OVERUSED WORDS Ala – stuff, things, good, nice,

Don’t die easily When you’re old, you should be bright and spirited Fight against death Smart people know that they have to die They said great stuff, and aren’t done yet Don’t die easily Word Choice Practice

Do not go gentle into that good night Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. – --Dylan Thomas (Welsh poet )

Sharing Our Poems In your table, give everyone a number – 1, 2, 3, 4. Person 1 will start by reading his/her favorite poem aloud to everyone. S/he will then read his/her emulation. In a circle, each person will give the writer one thing done well and one thing to work on in the emulated poem. Repeat so each person has a turn: Person 2, 3, and 4.

Emulating Poetry What did you learn from trying it the other night?