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1. BIOPOEM
Option per Ms. Romento: omit the words "Lover
of" etc... and just list or write in a phrase or sentence that
you want
| Requirement |
Your Draft |
| Line 1. your full name (you may do it on anyone,
a tv character, friend, character in a novel, etc...) |
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| Line 2. 4 character traits |
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| Line 3. Lover of (list 3 things character
loves) |
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| Line 4. Who feels (list 3 things) |
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| Line 5. Who needs (list 3) |
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| Line 6. Who fears (list 3) |
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| Line 7. Who gives (list 3) |
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| Line 8. Who would like |
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| Line 9. Full name |
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Writing a bio-poem is an effective way to describe the deeper levels
of a character's personality. It is also a good means of self-discovery.
Example:
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Amy Ann Mainelli
Hyper, friendly, honest, brunette
Lover of food, beaches and guys
Who feels tired all the time, confused about life
and hopeful about everything
Who needs to sleep in, a good breakfast and 10 dollars
Who fears spiders, embarrassment and exclusion
Who gives very little attention to details, parents and speed
limits
Who would like a license, a boyfriend and a fun weekend
Amy Ann Mainelli
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2. SENSE POEM: combining a visual image in
words and thought
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1. Select a colorful picture from a magazine,
the internet or your photo collection. It should be one you
feel you can describe well.
2. Study each detail of the picture. Think of
words to describe these details, words that appeal to the senses.
Write you words in the boxes below. Use only those categories
which are appropriate for your picture.
3. Use a dictionary and a thesaurus (if you
have one available) and include them in your chart.
4. Place a * after the first words in each box
which you feel are the very best.
5. Write a one-sentence description of your
picture from each set of words you starred. Keep revising until
you are satisfied.
6. Mount your picture on paper with your poem.
7. You may write additional sense poems on your
own subjects/ideas or pictures and pick the best for your creative
writing book.
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Words for color
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Words for shape
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Words for taste
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Words for sound
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Words for smell
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Words for touch
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Words for size
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Now finish the following one-sentence descriptions of
your picture
using a selection of the words you starred.
| I see |
| I hear |
| I feel |
| I smell |
| I taste |
| I know |
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3. MEMORY POEM #1
Plunge into a memory. Go back as far as you can and rescue your earliest
"I remembers..."
4 lines or more
I remember a school carnival where I pitched pennies and
won a silver whistle.
I remember a green frog, shopped to pieces in Daddy's lawn
mower.
I remember a pink and frilly dress I ripped to shreds, sliding
down a stone wall.
And I remember the thunder in my mother's eyes when she saw
it.
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Another Example
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4. MEMORY POEM #2
In this memory poem use at least 4 lines starting with "Childhood
is..." with a last line that sums it up.
Example:
Childhood is walking along the street on the
fifth of July
looking for unspent firecrackers.
Childhood is waking up early to read Tom
Sawyer in the first light, and taking a flashlight to
bed to read Little Women under the covers.
Childhood is selling lemonade, and falling
off a swing and getting lost in the woods called Bloody Hallow.
Childhood is playing Monopoly on rainy afternoons
and hearing grown-ups say no a thousand times and never, never
stepping on a crack because it'll break your mother's back.
Childhood is jumping rope and playing Red
Rover at dusk and beating up the boy down the block because
his three-wheel bike is bigger than yours and he won't give
you a turn.
Childhood is saying, "Star light, star
bright, first star I see tonight: I wish I may, I wish I might,
have the wish I make tonight,"
and believing it.
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5. DEFINITION POEM
Each line of this poem takes off from
a different "sense" and
the first line is almost like a metaphor, while the remaining four
use similes.
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Hope
I am hope
as old as earth,
sun and moon.
Yet I feel young,
like a crisp, warm breeze
sweeping down rainy dew fields.
I am the blue of skies,
oceans and rivers,
flowing gentle as rain.
I am hope.
I will not perish,
born of the first man.
by Vince Freeman
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Loneliness
Loneliness is gray.
It sounds like a cold wind in winter.
It smells like an attic in autumn.
It tastes like bitter aspirin.
Loneliness feels like a tear gently running down your face.
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6. QUESTAD POEM
This poem combines a series of poetic devices. Click
on each for definition and/or example.
Examples
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CARS
by Eric Harker
They seem to sing when you rev up the engine
The sound is sweeter than honey,
purring proudly like a pack of panthers
VROOM!
It is a shiny dream in the eyes of a child,
speeding like the space shuttle,
gleaming with silvery metallic paint along a black road of
fragrant tar.
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7. CINQUAIN POEM
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Pattern A
| Line 1 |
2 syllables |
Windows |
| Line 2 |
4 syllables |
glow out at me. |
| Line 3 |
6 syllables |
Like eyes, sometimes winking, |
| Line 4 |
8 syllables |
they welcome me; bright, shiny
panes |
| Line 5 |
2 syllables |
of glass. |
Pattern B
| Line 1 |
subject of your poem |
Steam train |
| Line 2 |
what it looks like |
Cow catcher, huge wheels, |
| Line 3 |
what it sounds like |
Blowing its shrill whistle |
| Line 4 |
how it acts |
Puffing clouds of black smoke |
| Line 5 |
what you feel about it |
Iron horse of bygone days. |
Pattern C
Example by Shandy Ziegler
| Line 1 |
Subject of poem |
Hero |
| Line 2 |
2 adjectives or descriptive
words |
Cunning, reluctant |
| Line 3 |
3 ing words |
Fighting, saving, believing |
| Line 4 |
verb phrase |
Going the distance |
| Line 5 |
Another word for subject of
poem |
Father |
Example
Pattern D
| Line 1 |
noun (title) |
Flying |
| Line 2 |
2 descriptive words |
High, far |
| Line 3 |
3 action words |
Gliding, turning, soaring |
| Line 4 |
4 words to express feelings |
in the cloudless sky, |
| Line 5 |
1 word synonym for title |
Joy |
Example |
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8. Diamente
This poem gets its name from its shape, a diamond.
Line 1: subject of poem. Any subject will do, but it will be necessary later
to write the opposite of this subject, so pick a subject for which you
can think of an opposite.
Line 2: two words that describe your subject
Line 3: 3 actions that you associate with your subject,
using verbs ending in ing
Line 4: 4 things you associate with your subject
Line 5: 3 ing verbs that indicate there is a change taking
place in your subject (don't use the same ones you used for in 3)
Line 6: 2 words that describe the subject now that it
has changed
Line 7: 1 word that is the opposite of your original subject
in line 1
Examples
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Summer
golden, fragrant
building, blooming, bursting,
warmth, flowers, youth, colors,
fading, chilling, shrinking
pale, dead
winter
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House
vacant, forgotten
sagging, echoing, waiting,
weeds, dust, neglect, emptiness,
buying, repairing, filling,
cozy, loved
Home
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9. "I used to be..."POEM
Before you begin to follow the steps outlined below, think
of two objects that could symbolize yourself. One to stand for the way
you used to be when you were younger, and one to represent the way you
think you are now. Once you've decided on the two symbols you will use,
write your poem by following the steps below.
| Line |
Directions |
Example |
Your Draft |
| Line 1 |
Write either I used to be or I was. |
I used to be |
. |
| Line 2 |
Write the name of the object you chose to stand
for yourself when you were younger. |
a caterpillar |
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| Line 3 |
Describe in a line or two something about the
object you just named making it like you. |
inching along. |
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| Line 4 |
Write down either "but now I am" or
simply "now I am." |
But now I am |
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| Line 5 |
Write down the name of the object you chose to
stand for yourself now. |
a butterfly |
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| Line 6 |
In a line or two, describe something about this
object that makes it seem like you. |
floating free. |
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I used to be
a caterpillar,
inching along.
But now I am
a butterfly,
floating free.
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Once I was
an empty notebook.
Waiting...
for a pen,
to come by.
Now I am
a heap of crumpled notes
waiting for
the janitor
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An
example from
Kris Anderson
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10. POEM WITH PERSONIFICATION
Represent an emotion (joy, grief, fury, loneliness, boredom, hysteria,
peace, jealousy, shyness) as a person. Select an emotion and imagine
what kind of person it would be like if it were human. What would it
look like and sound like?
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Part A: Fill in the description of the kind of person you
imagined.
1. Emotion you are representing as a person:
2. The person's body type:
3. The way the person moves:
4. The person's coloring (hair, eyes, etc.)
5. Way the person speaks:
6. Way the person makes you feel:
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Template, Example and Practice:
| Directions |
Example |
Your Draft |
| I saw |
I saw anger clearly. |
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| S/he was |
He was muscular and strong. |
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| S/he turned and |
He turned and lunged at me, his fist thrust forward. |
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| I saw his/her |
I saw his red skin and black eyes |
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| And heard him/her |
And heard him bellow with rage. |
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| And I felt |
And I felt afraid. |
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Examples
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Sadness
by Kris Anderson
I saw Sadness enter the room
She was slender and tall
She turned and frowned at me, with tears
glimmering in her eyes
I saw her pale face, as her blue eyes dug
into my heart
And I felt sad as well.
For the world in her blue eyes
scream sadness within my heart
Sadness.
Cameron, Julia Margaret. “Sadness.” Masters
of Photography. 8 Mar. 2001
<http://www.masters-of-photography.com/C/cameron/Cameron_sadness_full.html>
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Love
by Kris Anderson
I saw love float into the room
She was glowing as if glitter was flying around her body
She turned and smiled at me, just beyond the door
I looked deep into her eyes and saw overall purity
And heard her sweet, calm, voice sink into my ear and into
my heart
I felt so out of control, not sure what to do next
Alicia.
Silverstone, Alicia. “Alicia Silverstone: Gallery.”
My Alicia
Page. 8 Mar. 2001 <http://www.geocities.com/Baja/7061/AS.html>
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Worksheet and Examples
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11. SIMILE POEM #1
A simile is a comparison using like or as. "Like a rose"
or "swift as a deer." By following the steps below, you can
write a poem that compares two objects.
If you think of this poem as if each simile is a sentence, that will
help you in the construction of the lines so that there is parallel
construction. The first line is a comma or phrase line.
The second line completes the simile and should end in a period, making
a complete and grammatically correct sentence.
| Directions |
Example |
Your Draft |
| TITLE: Select a pair of closely related
objects to compare, like boys and girls, a dog and a puppy, an
ocean and a lake, a weed and a flower or the moon and a star.
Write the two objects you are going to compare. |
Women and Men |
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| Line 1: Write down what season of the year
object 1 is most like |
A woman is like spring, |
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| Line 2: For the second line of your poem,
describe something about Object 1 that makes it seem like that
season |
With a budding potential ready to sensationalize. |
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| Line 3: Write down what different season of
the year Object 2 is like |
A man is like winter, |
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| Line 4: Describe some quality of Object 2
that makes it seem like that season |
Ready to withstand the rigors of physical endurance. |
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| Line 5: Write down what animal (or item in
nature) Object 1 is like |
A woman is like an exotic purple-black orchid, |
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| Line 6: Indicate why Object 1 is like this |
Seeming delicate and fancy but actually strong and ambitious. |
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| Line 7: Write down what different animal (or
item in nature) Object 2 is like |
A man is like an oak tree, |
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| Line 8: Describe some quality of Object 2
that makes it seem like that |
strong, powerful and able to provide support. |
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Examples, Student
Example, Simile Worksheet or
Worksheet
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12. SIMILE POEM #2
Write an 8 line poem using 7 similes
Example:
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She runs like a deer, swift and sure,
She plays like a kitten with thread,
She yelps like a puppy when she bruises her knee,
She coos like a dove when she is happy.
She dives like a swan, deep and true,
She eats like a bird (all day).
She cries like a banshee and sings like a lark,
But she's really a Ms. in May.
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We need a new example!!
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13. "WHY?" POEM
This poem tells why people behave the way they do.
| Line |
Directions |
Example |
Your Draft |
| Line 1 |
Write who your poem is about (you can use either an actual name
or a phrase like "the base runner" to identify the person. |
My sister |
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| Line 2 |
Describe some specific action done by this person |
Combs and combs her long, brown hair |
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| Line 3 |
Write down where the person does this action |
In front of the mirror in our bedroom |
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| Line 4 |
Write down when this person does the action |
Every night. |
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| Line 5 |
Write down why this person does this action (or why you think
s/he does it). |
She wants to show me how beautiful she is. |
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Student Example
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14. HAIKU
"Haiku is a very short poetic form, consisting of
three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each, and must have a special word
which evokes the season. It is probably the shortest
poetic form in the world, and its development is native to Japan, with
no influence from either the West or China. The poet must be concise
because of the brevity, while concentrating deep
spiritual understanding into the poem. The haiku poet usually takes
up the changes of nature which have impressed him in
order to express the intangible world of the spirit.
"Although it is difficult, haiku is not written
only by professionals. Anyone can easily learn to use the form."
The Shiki Haiku
Internet Salon
The Imagination Trick
imag/:
images, usually two of them, make for good Haiku
in/: The
Haiku could relate to somethng in your personal experience.
What did you see today that you would like to share?
/nation:
country or nature is referred to in haiku
Essentials in Traditional
Haiku
1.nature
2. verb
3. contrast
4. season implied
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Requirement
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Your try
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Title and credit
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Elk Hunt
by Bev Questad
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(5 syllables) an image
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Majestic antlers
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(7 syl) a related image
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rising over yellow trees
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(5 syllables) ties 2 images
together in an unexpected way
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sudden sound - red splash
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The Physics of Nature
by Brandon Ludahl
Taking in the light.
Breaking it into pieces.
A rainbow appears.
Loch Maree. "Rainbows." The Rainbow Page. 20
Mar. 2001 <http://members.tripod.com/~grobius/rainbow.htm>.
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The Flower
by Matt Luft
Sky begins to clear
Opens to reveal the sun
A flower blooms bright
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15. PARODY
A parody is a comic or exaggerated imitation of a work of art, creating
a tone of humor in poems. A parody is most effective when both the writer
and reader are familiar with the original work. A parody uses key words,
phrases, structures, rhymes, themes or meter from the original, allowing
you to suggest the original without directly copying it.
| Famous version |
Parody |
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THE ROAD NOT TAKEN
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Robert Frost, 1874-1963
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THE METRO NOT TAKEN
Two roads converged at the yellow sign
And sorry I do not the Metro know
And be a punctual traveler, there I stood
And looked down the street as far as I could
To see the number 26
disappear in the undergrowth.
So I waited for the other just as fair
And having perhaps the better route
Since it went to 84th
And I was wanted there at 7:00.
I am telling this with a sigh,
Miles and miles of walking since,
I waited for the one that didn't come by
And that made a lot of difference
Al Bandstra
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Song Lyrics ~ Examples
of Parodies ~ Yesterday
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| SPECIAL NOTE for 2003:
For the purposes of our practice, put a couplet,
triplet and quatrain together
with a single title, image and subject. The examples given are correct
examples of the requirements of the specific poems, but not of the 2003
assignment.
16. COUPLET
COUPLETS
A couplet is a verse composed of two lines which may or may not rhyme.
For our purposes we are writing couplets that rhyme. Both lines should
also have the same number of syllables.
Example by Brandi Roe
My brother Bob can really bake
I love the way he makes a cake
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17. TRIPLET
A triplet, though not as common as the couplet (two-liner) or the quatrain
(four-liner), nevertheless, can be an exciting, creative writing experience.
The triplet can be either rhymed or unrhymed. For our purposes, we are
writing triplets that rhyme. There are a variety of rhyming patterns
that you can use. aaa, aba, abb. Each line should also have the same
number of syllables.
Example by Andrea McDonough
Let's go to the mall
But first let us call
And ask Mrs. Hall
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18. QUATRAIN
A quatrain is a poem written in four lines. It may be rhymed or unrhymed,
but for our purposes it will be rhymed only. When it rhymes, it may
have a variety of rhyming patterns: aaaa, abab, aabb.
Each of the four lines should rhyme, using one of the patterns, and
have the same number of syllables.
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Example by Bryce Gardner
He hit the ball so very high
It came back down out of the sky
The runner ran around the base
He ran so fast he fell on his face
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19. SONNET
A sonnet has 14 lines of 10 syllables each. It is usually written in
iambic pentameter. There are 2 parts to a sonnet, 3 quatrains and one
ending couplet.
The subject of a sonnet explores something of particular interest to
the poet. Shakespeare Example
I'M NOT A BABY ANYMORE
by G.B.Lipson
| Lines |
Content |
Rhyming
Pattern |
| 1 |
It was silent on our street-late at night |
a |
| 2 |
My folks in nightclothes hovered at the door |
b |
| 3 |
This was the reason for another fight |
a |
| 4 |
I knew by heart the pain that was in store. |
b |
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| 1 |
Now once again they said, "You didn't call!" |
c |
| 2 |
We argued while my father paced the room |
d |
| 3 |
I told them I forgot-that says it all! |
c |
| 4 |
For them it was the painful voice of gloom. |
d |
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| 1 |
You could be hurt-you gave us quite a scare!" |
e |
| 2 |
I never meant to give them so much grief |
f |
| 3 |
These endless battles fill me with despair |
e |
| 4 |
I've heard it all before-I need relief |
f |
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| 1 |
They say when I am grown that I will see. |
g |
| 2 |
I know for sure we never will agree! |
g |
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20. Free Verse and other sorts of home-made, original
poetry
beware : do not read this poem
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tonite, thriller was
abt an ol woman, so vain she
surrounded herself w /
many mirrors
it got so bad that finally she
locked herself indoors & her
whole life became the
mirrors
one day the villagers broke
into her house , but she was too
swift for them . she disappeared
into a mirror
each tenant who bought the house
after that , lost a loved one to
the ol woman in the mirror :
first a little girl
then a young woman
then the young woman/s husband
the hunger of this poem is legendary
it has taken in many victims
back off from this poem
it has drawn in yr feet
back off from this poem
it has drawn in yr legs
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back off from this poem
it is a greedy mirror
you are into this poem . from
the waist down
nobody can hear you can they ?
this poem has had you up to here
belch
this poem aint got no manners
you cant call out frm this poem
relax now & go w / this poem
move & roll on to this poem
do not resist this poem
this poem has yr eyes
this poem has his head
this poem has his arms
this poem has his fingers
this poem has his fingertips
this poem is the reader & the
reader this poem
statistic : the us bureau of missing persons
re-
ports that in 1968 over 100,000 people
disappeared leaving no solid clues
nor trace only
a space in the lives of their friends
by Ishmael
Reed
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More Examples
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21. I Am
poem with examples
of adaptations
FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated
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