2. Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
Poetry
Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
From Reading to Writing Many people think poetry is writing that appears in neatly arranged sets of lines that rhyme. But a poem is not just a jingle or a simple rhyme. It can take any form and may be written on any subject.

3. Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
Poetry
Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
Some poems, like D. H. Lawrence’s “Piano,” capture an experience and tell a brief story. Others make surprise observations. Poems often present small scenes that take place in memory or imagination or in the world.

4. Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
Poetry
Expressing your ideas and feelings in verse . . .
In writing a poem, poets condense a feeling, idea, or event into a few well-chosen words that embody the meaning of the experience and make it come alive for readers.

5. B a s i c s i n a B o x Poetry at a Glance RUBRIC
Standards for Writing
A successful poem should
focus on a single experience, idea, or feeling
use precise, sensory words in a fresh, interesting way
incorporate figurative language such as similes and metaphors
include sound devices as appropriate, such as alliteration, assonance, and rhyme to support the affect and meaning of the poem

6. Writing Your Poem Prewriting1
Prewriting
Anything is good material for poetry. Anything.
William Carlos Williams,
American poet
Poems often grow out of a word or phrase that captures the writer’s imagination because of its sound, rhythm, or meaning.

7. Writing Your Poem Prewriting1
Prewriting
Anything is good material for poetry. Anything.
William Carlos Williams,
American poet
Try just sitting quietly and letting feelings, memories, and words run through your mind. Jot down words and ideas that interest you, specifically those that describe sounds, sights, tastes, smells, and feelings.

8. Planning Your Poem
1. Freewrite about your topic. Read over the notes you made in searching for a topic. Circle interesting words, images, and details, or begin a new freewrite. Which details do you want to include in your poem.
2. Identify the mood you want to express. Examine your feelings about the topic. Do you feel happy, sad, thoughtful, amused, angry? Focus on creating images and details that reinforce that mood.
3. Choose a starting point. Which word, line, or image draws you most strongly? Which seems to lead to other interesting images and ideas? Look for one powerful line that can be the focus of your poem.

9. Writing Your Poem Drafting2
Drafting
Use the following steps in drafting your poem:
Play with ideas and words that come to mind as you think about your topic. Let your language flow freely.
Read your writing aloud and listen to the sounds and rhythms of your words.

10. Writing Your Poem Drafting2
Drafting
Use the following steps in drafting your poem:
Experiment with sound devices such as alliteration (life-long), assonance (greedy schemer), and rhyme (stay away).
Try using figurative language—simile, metaphor, and personification— comparisons that help readers see your subject in a new way.

11. Writing Your Poem Drafting2
Drafting
Use the following steps in drafting your poem:
Consider the overall mood of your poem. Choose words whose positive or negative connotations emphasize that mood. For example, you might use the word cabin to create one kind of mood and the word shack to create another.
Experiment with different structures.

12. Writing Your Poem Drafting2
Drafting
Use the following steps in drafting your poem:
Play with rhythm and rhyme.
Organize into stanzas to give your poem a more formal feel.

13. Writing Your Poem Drafting2
Drafting
Use the following steps in drafting your poem:
Read your draft aloud to yourself and listen to the words you have written. Think about how you might begin to shape the poem by changing words, line breaks, and punctuation.

14. Writing Your Poem Revising Target Skill3
Revising
Target Skill
ADDING DETAIL
The success of a poem depends largely on the clarity and concreteness of the picture it paints. Add precise, concrete details to make your poem an experience for all the senses.

15. Writing Your Poem Editing and Proofreading Target Skill4
Editing and Proofreading
Target Skill
USING PUNCTUATION
In a poem, a sentence may end in the middle of a line or may extend for several lines. Use the standard rules for punctuating sentences to make sure your lines are not misread.