by Laura Shovan
Found poems were not originally meant to be poems. They can be grocery lists, homework assignments, or other scraps of writing. It’s the poet who finds rhythm or imagery in a found poem. By rearranging the original writing, the poet can make the words look and sound like a poem.
SUGGESTION: Keep your eyes peeled! A found poem can come from anywhere: a sign describing a lost kitten, a famous speech, or a note from a friend.
Model poem: “My Speech” by George Furst
Free Verse
In a free verse poem, the poet makes the rules. It’s up to you whether your poem has stanzas, and whether the lines are long or short. Free verse poems do not usually rhyme or have a steady beat.
SUGGESTION: Do you have a story to tell? Free verse is the perfect form for a narrative poem. You don’t have to think about rhyming words or counting syllables. Focus on describing your story.
Model poem: “Rennie and Phoenix” by Brianna Holmes
Haiku
Haiku is a Japanese form of unrhymed poetry. Haiku describe scenes in nature. They include a kigo word, a symbol that lets the reader know what season the poet is writing about. You may have learned to count syllables when writing a haiku: 5-7-5. But Japanese is not written or read left to right, the way English is. Instead of counting syllables, aim for lines that have a short-long-short rhythm.
SUGGESTION: Go outside for a haiku hike. Take a notebook or index card with you and jot down a few things that you see. Then write about what you observed in lines with a short-long-short rhythm.
Model poems: “Two Haiku” by Newt Mathews
Limerick
A limerick is a form poem most often used to tell a quick joke. Limericks have five lines with a rhyme scheme of AABBA. A rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes that appears in a poem. Each rhyming sound is assigned a different letter of the alphabet. In a limerick, the rhyme scheme looks like this:
A LIMERICK
There once was a girl named McCain, (A)
who sat next to someone insane. (A)
He thought it was cool (B)
to act like a fool, (B)
but his poems gave her a migraine. (A)
Limericks also have a rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables. If you CLAP the stressed syllables and snap the unstressed syllables, it would sound like this:
Line 1: snap CLAP snap snap CLAP snap snap CLAP
Line 2: snap CLAP snap snap CLAP snap snap CLAP
Line 3: snap CLAP snap snap CLAP
Line 4: snap CLAP snap snap CLAP
Line 5: snap CLAP snap snap CLAP snap snap CLAP
SUGGESTION: Follow the form as best you can. If you’re stuck, make it about a clumsy dinosaur who loves cherry lime soda (known as lime rickeys).
Model poem: “A Limerick” by Katie McCain
List Poem
People have been making list poems for thousands of years. Lists are a great way to create a poem. Starting with a list makes the poet focus on objects or events instead of ideas. Many list poems use repetition, a word or phrase that emphasizes the theme of the list.
SUGGESTION: Try writing a list poem all about you. Stick to one topic, though, such as a list of things you collect, a list of places where you have been, a list of jobs you do NOT want when you grow up, a list of the pets you have had (or wished you had). A list poem can be about pretty much anything. The way you order the items is almost as important as the things on the list.
Model poem: “Top Ten Things That Stink When Your Father Dies” by Mark Fernandez
Narrative Poem
Narrative poems tell a story or describe an event. They are often written in free verse.
SUGGESTION: In a poem, think about a time when you had to make a decision. Maybe you wanted to run for student council. Maybe you had to choose whether you wanted to give up soccer so you could try out for a dance company. Describe how you decided what to do.
Model poem: “News at the Newseum” by Sloane Costley
Ode
Odes are poems of celebration that date back to ancient Greece, when poets would write verses praising Olympic champions. Modern poets use odes, which are usually written in free verse, to praise normal people, places, and objects. After all, your favorite aunt deserves just as much attention as a superstar athlete.
SUGGESTION: Write an ode to create a portrait—a picture in words—of someone with whom you are close, or to your favorite time of the school day. Use details to show the reader why a subject (any subject!) is so wonderful that it should be praised.
Model poem: “Ode to My Mom” by Rennie Rawlins
Rap Poem
Like poets, rappers use rhythm and rhyme in their lyrics to get their point across. Rap poems often have short lines, which give the poem a quick rhythm. The rhymes might not always fall at the end of a line. Rap poems can be less formal and sound more like everyday speech than some other poems do.
SUGGESTION: Write a rap poem about a time when you really wanted something but didn’t get it.
Model poem: “Time Capsule Rap” by Edgar Lee Jones
Rhyming Poems
There are many ways for poems to rhyme. The most common are rhymed couplets (two rhymed lines), tercets (three rhymed lines), or quatrains (four rhymed lines). Rhymes can add humor to a poem.
SUGGESTION: Write a funny poem about homework using the rhyme scheme of your choice.
Model poem: “I Know This One” by Rajesh Rao
Senryu
Senryu poems follow haiku form, but they do not have to be about nature. Often, senryu focus on human nature.
SUGGESTION: Write a description of yourself or someone else in senryu form.
Model poem: “Senryu: Shoshanna Says” by Rachel Chieko Stein
Sonnet
The sonnet is a traditional form poem with fourteen lines. English (or Shakespearean) sonnets have a rhyme scheme of ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Sonnets are sometimes used to make an argument.
SUGGESTION: In fourteen lines, tell a story about something that happened to you. You might need a special rhyming dictionary to help with the rhyme scheme.
CHALLENGE: Traditional sonnets use iambic pentameter, ten rhythmic beats per line, with an accent on every other syllable. Not easy, but fun to try.
Model poem: “Field Trip” by Edgar Lee Jones
Tanka
Tanka is another form poem from Japan. The rules for tanka might remind you of haiku, with two extra lines.
An American tanka looks like this:
Line 1: 5 syllables
Line 2: 7 syllables
Line 3: 5 syllables
Line 4: 7 syllables
Line 5: 7 syllables
Because Japanese isn’t written like English, it’s more important to make the lines short/long/short/long/long than it is to count syllables. Tanka have two halves, the upper part (that looks like a haiku) and a lower part (the last long/long lines). Usually, the upper poem focuses on description and the lower poem adds a comment or observation.
SUGGESTION: Create a tanka portrait of someone you know. Use the first three lines to describe your person. Your senses will come in handy. What does your person look and sound like? Reserve the last two lines to make an observation about your subject. What does he want most in the world? What does she believe about herself?
Model poem: “Mr. White Tanka Poem” by Newt Mathews
FROM THE FIFTH-GRADE POETRY PROMPT JAR
Start Making Sense
Write a poem about something you love, such as a sport, walking your dog, or a special memory. Try using all five senses to create imagery. Describe what you see, hear, feel, smell, and taste—whether you are playing football with your friends or geocaching with your family.
Model poem: “Spring Break Five Senses Poem” by Norah Hassan
Food for Thought
Everybody eats! There are many ways to write a food poem. You can write a list poem about your favorite food using your five senses. You can write a recipe poem, describing how to make your favorite food. Or you can
write a poem about a food tradition—a dish that your family shares on special occasions.
Model poem: “Marvelous Matzo” by Rachel Chieko Stein
Happy Holidays/Hateful Holidays
Holidays make great topics for poetry. We get dressed up, sing and dance together, and have good things to eat. Write a poem about a holiday, but make sure it’s specific. Tell a best or worst birthday story, or write a poem listing all the costumes you’ve ever worn on Halloween.
Sometimes holidays are a drag. There might be rules or traditions that you don’t understand. People in your family might expect you to act a certain way. Write a poem about a holiday that wasn’t so great, or one that you don’t like.
Model poem: “I Hate Halloween” by Hannah Wiles
A Sound Riddle
What if you wrote about a place using only the sounds you hear there? Would readers be able to guess where your poem is set? Imagine going to that place with a blindfold on (or go there for real and close your eyes for a few minutes). Focus on what you hear, then write it all down. To help your readers guess your place correctly, use onomatopoeia words—words that sound like the noise they describe.
Model poem: “Rainy Day Poem” by Ben Kidwell
This or That?
Try writing an opposites poem with two stanzas. Your poem can describe “Before and After” or “Then and Now.” It could also be about opposites like “Summer and Winter” or “Home and School.”
CHALLENGE: Use rhyme to make your poem funny.
Model poem: “Time Capsule” by Katie McCain
Parody
Something funny happened to you at school today and you want to write about it. But simply telling the story feels a little ho-hum. Try a parody! Take a few lines from a favorite book or song. Rewrite the words to fit your story. This might not look like a poem when you are done. That’s okay. Dramatic—or comedic—dialogue has a lot in common with poetry.
Model poem: “One Seat, Two Seats, We Have New Seats” by Jason Chen
Personification Poem
Instead of writing a poem about an object, write to an object. This is called using direct address. Choose anything you like for this poem: a window, a dust bunny, your sister’s cell phone, the silver dragon on your best friend’s bookshelf. Act as if that object is your new buddy and write a note to it. If you’re stuck, try writing to the pen or pencil you’re using. What words might be stuck in there?
CHALLENGE: Instead of writing to the object you are personifying, let it speak for itself. What would your backpack complain about if it could talk?
Model poem: “Notebook” by Edgar Lee Jones
Picture This
Write about a photograph you love. It can be a funny photo, a picture of someone you care about, or of a special place you’ve been to or dream of visiting someday. Include specific details about the photograph, such as who is in it, what else you see in the picture, and where it was taken. Write down all the things you can see in your photograph, but also tell why it’s important to you.
Model poem: “Photograph” by Edgar Lee Jones
Paint a Portrait
We usually think about portraits as works of art, such as paintings or photographs. But we can also make portraits of people with words. Write a poem describing your favorite teacher or coach or your oldest friend. Include details to show what made—or makes—that person so great. Did she play flag football with you at recess? Did he shake your hand every morning or help you learn your favorite pop song on the piano?
Model poem: “To My Teacher” by Tyler La Roche
Routine Description
Think about something you do every day. Do you rush out the door every morning, or wake up early and get things done? Write a free verse poem describing a routine. Brainstorm by listing everything you do before school, or while getting ready to play a sport. Once you have a list, pick a few things that seem interesting. Spend a few lines describing each item.
Model poem: “Every Morning” by Norah Hassan
Recess
Describe your favorite thing to do at recess. A game, a sport, or talking with friends? Try using short lines for this poem. Short lines give a poem a fast rhythm, and we all know recess goes by too fast.
Model poem: “Crack the Whip” by Sloane Costley
Mirror, Mirror
Write an “I Am” self-portrait poem. Think of each stanza as a paragraph with its own main idea. Begin each stanza with the phrase “I am”: “I am shoulder pads and a football helmet,” “I am hands that sign words,” “I am recipes of my own invention.” The more detailed images your poem has, the better your readers will get to know who you are.
Model poem: “School Clothes” by Brianna Holmes
The Story of My (Nick)Name
Have you ever asked where your name comes from? Names are part of who we are. They can connect us with our family history. What’s the story of your name or nickname? Was there ever a time when you didn’t like your name? What do you like about it? Tell the story of your name.
Model poem: “My Song” by Tyler La Roche
“Stream-of-Consciousness” Poem
In stream-of-consciousness writing, the author writes down everything that comes into her mind. Sit down and write whatever pops into your brain, no matter how wacky it is. Don’t try to fix or edit as you write. After a page or a paragraph of writing, put your poem away for a few days. When it’s time to revise, read what you wrote and highlight parts you like. See if you can build a poem from those highlighted bits.
Model poem: “Ping-Pong Riff” by Jason Chen
You Are What You Wear
Write about your favorite piece of clothing—a lucky shirt, a pair of jeans you’ve graffitied with colored pens, or your favorite fuzzy socks. What makes that thing special to you?
CHALLENGE: Try a concrete poem. Shape your poem so it looks like the piece of clothing you’re writing about.
Model poem: “Lucky Hat” by Ben Kidwell
GLOSSARY
alliteration: A repeated sound at the beginning of successive words.
assonance: A repeated vowel sound.
couplet: Two lines, either a poem or a stanza within a poem, usually with rhyming end words.
descriptive details: Specific elements and language used to create a vivid picture.
direct address: Speaking to a person or an object.
form poem: A poem that has rules, such as a specific number of lines (e.g., a sonnet), a certain rhythm or rhyme scheme (e.g., a limerick), or even a particular subject (e.g., a haiku).
iambic pentameter: A line of poetry with five pairs of beats. In each pair, the second syllable is accented (e.g., snap CLAP in the entry on limericks).
imagery: Pictures created by using certain words. All five senses can be used to create imagery.
internal rhyme: Rhymes that appear in places other than at the end of a line.
kigo: A word or phrase that symbolizes a season; used in Japanese poetry.
meter: The rhythmic pattern of a poem.
near rhyme: Also called “slant rhyme.” When two words don’t rhyme perfectly.
onomatopoeia: Words that sound like the noise they are describing.
parody: A funny imitation of another work of art.
personification: Giving an animal or object human qualities.
poetic form: The rules that a poem follows, such as rhyme scheme or number of syllables.
prompt: A poem starter, a character or setting suggestion for a short story, or an idea for free writing.
quatrain: A four-line poem or stanza. It can be unrhymed or rhymed.
repetition: Using a specific word or phrase multiple times to emphasize an idea or make a point.
rhyme scheme: The pattern of rhymes in a poem.
rhythm: The beat that a poem’s words make.
stanza: Two or more lines of a poem grouped together.
syllables: The units of sound in a word. Some form poems have a required number of syll
ables. Poets often pay attention to which syllables are stressed (heavier beat) and unstressed (lighter beat).
tercet: A three-line poem or stanza. Tercets can be rhymed AAA or ABA, or they can be unrhymed.
theme: The main subject.
Jennifer Lewis
LAURA SHOVAN has been a writer since the second grade, when her short story “Snow Flurry” appeared in a PTA newsletter. After graduating from NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program, she taught high school, worked as a freelance journalist, and is now an educational consultant for teens with learning differences. Laura is the editor of two poetry anthologies and author of the Harriss Poetry Prize–winning chapbook, Mountain, Log, Salt, and Stone. She and her family live in Maryland, where Laura is a longtime poet-in-the-schools for the Maryland State Arts Council. This is her first novel.