Poetry – Paint a Picture with Words

What is poetry? According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, poetry is “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”

What? Poetry is a way to put your feelings or expression into words. It can be whatever you want it to be!

Poetry is… Poetry is a creative process that uses language to create a response by the reader.

Words Choose the absolute best words for your poem. Use a thesaurus to replace dead words. Think of your five senses; touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell.

Punctuation Is used to show the reader how to read the poem May not have any punctuation May have commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation points Needs to be consistent

Poems can be... Free VerseRhyming

Free Verse Poems... Do not rhyme Do not have a pattern Do not have a rhythm Do not have a structure

Bingo Saturday night Dad washed, I dried the supper dishes while Mom armed herself for Early Bird bingo at seven in the church basement: her lucky piece (a smooth quarter she’d won the first time out), a seat cushion, and a White Owls box of pink plastic markers.

Dad read the paper and watched TV with me until Mom returned, announcing her triumph with a door slam and a shout “I was hot!”

Flinging her hat, twirling out of her jacket, she pulled dollar bills from her pockets before setting them free to flutter like fat spring snow. “Ninety-two dollars!” she squealed as Dad hugged her off the floor. “Ninety-two dollars!”

In bed I listened to mumbled voices planning to spend the money- on groceries school clothes a leaky radiator- and wished she’d buy a shiny red dress long white gloves and clickety-click high heels.

Gonna Bake Me a Rainbow Poem We stirred up some red and orange and blue and purple in our momma’s pan- Melted a lotta’ Jimbo’s crayons Then they stuck to the bottom Me and my friend SCRAPED AND SCRAPED with a butter knife until… My momma walked through the door Lotsa’ yellin’ Lotsa’ cryin’ My friend left All I wanted was a rainbow- Don’t like this gloomy weather Amy Wilson

Cheddar Cheese and Chocolate Cake I am crazy about rich, dark, espresso coffee. I am addicted to extra-sharp cheddar cheese and chocolate cake. I never tire of window-shopping or munching crisp apple pies from Burger King. I can consume a whole package of Wheat Thins while curled up reading a favorite novel. I wear purple eye shadow and pink nail varnish - always. I love to laugh and scream for joy, to sing at the top of my voice. I like to play heavy rock loud enough to burst your eardrums. I like crazy parties, whipped cream, and solitude. Juliet Gainsborough

Things That Go Away & Come Back Again Thoughts Airplanes Boats Trains People Dreams Animals Songs Husbands Boomerangs Lightning The sun, the moon, the stars Bad weather The seasons Soldiers Good luck Health Depression Joy Laundry Anne Waldman

Hiccups Dear Hiccups, You’re the enemy of my mouth and throat. You’re the worst thing that could ever- hic- happen! If you ever should disturb me again, I shall toss you out of my vocal chords. You’re like hail on an angry alligator. So, catch my drift, dear hiccups-hic- and get far, far away. Get out-hic-DEAR, AWFUL HICCUPS! -hic-Jennifer Nussinow

Oh, I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, a boa constrictor, I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor--And I don't like it--one bit. Well, what do you know? It's nibblin' my toe. Oh, gee, It's up to my knee. Oh my, It's up to my thigh. Oh, fiddle, It's up to my middle. Oh, heck, It's up to my neck. Oh, dread, It's upmmmmmmfffffffff... -Shel Silverstein Boa Constrictor

Rhyming Poems... Rhyme May have a pattern Has a rhythm May have a structure

Rhythm Poems with rhythm usually contain rhyming words at the ends of lines Specific syllables are stressed The rhyming follows a pattern Rhyming dictionaries are helpful to create rhythm

A Rhyming Poem Marty Smarty went to a party In her jumbo jet. After tea she jumped in the sea And got her pants all wet. John Foster

Spaghetti! Spaghetti Spaghetti! You’re wonderful stuff, I love you, spaghetti, I can’t get enough. You’re covered with sauce And you’re sprinkled with cheese, Spaghetti! Oh, give me some please. Jack Prelutsky

Gum Drop Although I think its mean and cruel, They don’t let us chew gum in school

SUPER SENSORY Descriptive poems tickle your senses, send smells up your nostrils, clap noises in your eardrums, run texture over your fingertips, and paint settings before your eyes. You must know how it feels to stand knee deep on the beach, as wet sand gushes between your toes in order to compose it in a poem. Poems that capture sensory elements stick in a reader's mind and flow easily across the page as the reader scans your words.

The Beach It's a day when the ocean waves whisper to the sun: 'Warm me up sunshine!' And the sun tries to throw its rays right at me, painting my white skin into a golden shimmery tan. The fingertip of the salty smelling wind brushes against my left cheek. The clouds try hard not to move. I see them crawling inch by inch.

I Look down at my feet; and the hot pink nail polish; sinks into the warm sand the grains squish between my toes Rough. I gaze out into the crystal water shining like cherry-flavored lip gloss and diamonds held in a blue blanket. I lean back into the pinkbluepurple of the wind, where it leaves goose bumps on my arm and I feel as if I could blow away at any time…