Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you revise your poems?

Right now, take out all the poems you have written and read them.

Ask yourself:
"Is my poem focused on one topic, event, or person?"
"Is there rhythm to my poem?"
"Are the lines and stanzas properly placed?"
"Did I use imagery and paint a picture using all the senses?"
"Did I use strong verbs and did I get rid of unnecessary words?"
"Did I use proper punctuation and spelling?"

When you can say yes to all those questions, your chances of having a good poem is very good.

If you are having trouble deciding what to do, ask a partner to listen to your poem and give you some suggestions. Use a thesaurus if you're stuck on words.

See me if you need any further help. To celebrate let's combine the poems into a booklet.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you use alliteration and onomatopoeia in poetry?

Right now, review the meaning of the poetic devices: alliteration and onomatopoeia.

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginnings of words. Though alliteration usually occurs at the beginning of words, it can also occur within or at the end of words.

Onomatopoeia is the use of words with sounds that echo their sense. Onomatopoeia is an important element in creating the music of poetry. Buzz, rustle, boom are examples of onomatopoeia.

Read the poem " Windy Nights" by Rodney Bennett.
Rumbling in the chimneys,
Rattling at the doors,
Round the roofs and round the roads
The rude wind roars;
Raging through the darkness,
Raving through the trees,
Racing off again across
The great grey seas.

Name the consonant that is being repeated over and over again. What kind of feeling do you get when you hear that sound? Read the poem to a partner and look for the sound being repeated within the words and at the end of words.

Use forms of onomatopoeia and write another stanza to the poem. What examples of onomatopoeia are in the first stanza. Continue to use alliteration when you write your second stanza.

Choose one of the other elements of nature that follows wind, such as rain, thunder, lightening, sleet, snow and make it the topic of the second stanza. Pair up with a partner to help you compose your poem. Read your lines to each other.

After you have drafted a poem or even a few lines put it on google documents to revise.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How can you find the rhythm of a poem and create your own?

Right now, brainstorm and write down all the ways rhythm affects your life.

Rhythm is something you have always lived with, since the time you were in your mother's womb, listening to her heartbeat. In poetry, rhythm is the beat of the poem. It is the pattern of strong and weak syllables that make up the beat. The rhythm of the poem brings out the musical quality of the words. Some words are stressed, while others are unstressed.


Read the poem "Windy Nights" by Rodney Bennett. Keep track of the beats by marking the strong or stressed syllables with a stressed mark ('). Read each line of the poem aloud and put the stress marks above the syllables.

If you're having trouble hearing the stressed syllable, sit with a partner and read the poem to each other. Decide which syllables are stressed.

Take one of your own poems and find the rhythm scheme. Read it to your partner and see if he/she agrees with the rhythm scheme.

For homework, take a favorite poem or song and find its rhythm scheme.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you create a poem about childhood memories?

For now, brainstorm and write down any childhood memories that come to mind - birthday parties, major snowstorms, holidays, picnics, etc.

Use your handout to explore six aspects of a single memory using sensory details.

In the first aspect or "room" of the memory, picture it in your mind. Describe what you see - colors, shapes, objects, people.

In the second aspect or "room" of the memory, describe the light in the memory. Is the sun bright? Are there any shadows? Is it night? Do you see sparkling, twinkling stars?

In the third aspect or "room" of the memory, describe the sounds you remember. Do you hear voices, the rustling of leaves, the sound of rain, thunder, or the wind?
If it is silent in your memory, what kind of silence is it? Is the silence empty, lonely or peaceful?

In the fourth aspect or "room" of the memory, write down questions you have about the memory. What would you want to know more about the memory?

In the fifth aspect or "room" of the memory, write down your feelings about the memory. Were you excited, scared, surprised, embarrassed, etc.?

In the sixth aspect or "room" of the memory, read over what you wrote in the previous "memory rooms" and select words or phrases that feels important. Then write that thought and repeat it three times.

If you have trouble writing about any of the aspects of the memory, just imagine what something might be like, even if you can't remember the exact details.

Once you've written all aspects of the memory, you can write a poem about it. Work in small groups or with a partner. Read your poems to each other and see how they sound.

See me if you're having problems and for homework, check spelling, word meanings, and punctuation.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you write a haiku poem about New York City?

Right now, brainstorm three to five topics you could write about for your NYC haiku.

Remember that haiku is a three line poem with a meter of 5 syllables on line 1, 7 syllables on line 2, and 5 syllables on line 3. The lines don't have to rhyme.

Your haiku could be about what you see outside your apartment window. It could be a description of the night life and festivals that happen in the city. It could be about the sights and sounds of one of the many parades that march in the city.

Since haikus are so short you can write a few and share them with your partner. Make sure you use imagery and figurative language.

For homework check your spelling, punctuation, and syllable count.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you write a list poem?

Read the poem "Valentine for Ernest Mann" by Naomi Shihab Nye. It's a poem about the various places where you can find inspiration for writing poetry. Make a list poem using the worksheet. List what makes you happy, angry, or sad. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"

Write about what you see and observe. What makes this world beautiful or mysterious? Make a list of all the things that you think are beautiful or mysterious. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"

Write about the world around you. What do you watch or read in the news? Make a list of things you read in the news. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"

Write about things that make you wonder. Do you have any questions about your life at school or at home? Make a list of the things you wonder about. Ask yourself, "Is a poem hiding here?"

Use your lists to make a poem. Share your lists with a partner. Make sure you use rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, and simile.

Check your stanza and line-breaks. Check spelling and punctuation for Homework.

Reading and Writing Poetry

How do you craft and revise a poem?

Review the lists of metaphors and similes you wrote yesterday.

Make sure that these metaphors and similes describe who you are and what you feel. Take a partner and reread each other's work. Ask them if they think it portrays you. Are you showing the emotions and characteristics you want to portray?

Reread a poem and check how line-breaks and stanza breaks change the pace, rhythm and meaning of the poem. Pay attention to where your voice naturally pauses. You can experiment with your line-breaks, reading new versions of your poem to yourself to hear the difference that changing the line-break makes. You can also reread to see if there are any longer pauses between ideas or thoughts. Longer pauses denote a stanza break.

If you're having trouble identifying where to put the line breaks, read your poem to your partner. Ask him/her to help identify where the first few break lines could be.

Share your poem with the class. When a poem is read, comment on how the line-breaks influenced the pace of the poem. Comment on how the line-breaks and stanza breaks helped to express the meaning of the poem.

Check your spelling, rhyme scheme, imagery, and tone of the poem for homework.