Poetry
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Poetry is felt, not measured!
ELA 7/8- Mr. Wandler Poetry Reading and Writing
Assignment is due on: , 2023
You are going to create a book of poetry; poetry written by you as well as examples from others. First you will be finding examples of poems from the list below. Then write a series of poems following the examples and descriptions you are being given. Lastly, assemble them in a way which demonstrates your creative side. Maybe your book will be like a photo album, or maybe a scrap book. Either way, your book should be creative and illustrated. Your illustrations may be images you have drawn, photos and other paraphernalia from your life, or photos that you find online or in magazines. The images/illustrations should reflect who you are and how you have represented yourself in your poetry.
Each of your poems should relate to All That I Am – The Search for Self. This simply means that each of your poems in some way gives your audience a better, deeper understanding of who you are.
Your poetry book must contain one of each of the following:
§ Song Choice
This is the only part of your poetry book that will not be written (entirely) by you. You are going to print the lyrics of a song (do not just print them right from the website, with advertisements, etc.). Find five poetic devices or figures of speech included in the song. Write out the five devices or figures of speech found, provide an example from the song of each, and write what you think the purpose of using that poetic device is. (Basically, you need to tell me what you found, and show me an example so I can see that you understand the device or figure of speech, and explain why you think the song writer chose to use those devices/figures of speech). Write a small paragraph (can be three or four sentences) about why you have chosen this song – what does your choice say about who you are?
§ Diamante poem
A diamante poem is a seven line poem that is shaped like a diamond. The format is as follows:
One word (subject or noun that is contrasting to line 7)
Two words (adjectives that describe line 1)
Three words (present active participles that relate to line 1)
Four words (nouns, the first two words will relate to line 1, the last two will relate to line 7. Some diamante poems are composed with the nouns relating to line one alternating with the nouns relating to line 7. You may do this as well, if you wish.)
Three words (present active participles that relate to line 7)
Two words (adjectives that describe line 7)
One word (subject or noun that is contrasting to line 1)
§ Limerick
A limerick is a five line poem with the rhyme scheme aabba. This means that lines 1, 2, and 5 will rhyme (forming a triplet), and lines 3 and 4 will rhyme (forming a couplet). Lines 1, 2, and 5 should be 8 syllables, and lines 3 and 4 should be 6 syllables. (Note that sometimes lines 1, 2, and 5 can be 9 syllables if the place or name, for example, that you are using, has an extra syllable.) Limericks, which often but do not have to begin with “there once was a…”, are meant to be humorous and silly; however, keep in mind that you can still be writing about yourself, or aspects of your life, and have fun. For example, you could write about your most embarrassing moment – if you are brave enough to tell.
§ Haiku
A haiku is a Japanese form of poetry; however, the haiku that is now used in English is slightly different. The English version of the haiku is a three line poem which does not rhyme. (A traditional Japanese haiku is all written in one long line.) The first line should have 5 syllables, the second line should have 7 syllables, and the third line should have 5 syllables. The haiku describes a very specific aspect of nature. Choose something that is personal to you, as this will help you write about something very specific. If you love playing soccer, maybe you can write about the beauty and smell of freshly cut grass. If you love to wakeboard, you could write about the power of waves and water.
§ Cinquain
A cinquain is a five-line poem that does not rhyme. A cinquain, similarly to the haiku, is based on syllables, and is formatted as follows:
Line one- two syllables
Line two- four syllables
Line three- six syllables
Line four- eight syllables
Line five- two syllables
§ List Poem
A list poem is as simple as it sounds. You write a statement or theme and then write, using free verse, about ideas that relate to that statement or theme. Your listed items should be complete thoughts as opposed to a string of individual words. Some examples of prompts that you could use are “I believe in…” or “I wish for….” There is no required length for your list poem. It does not have to be 100 lines or anything crazy, however it should be more than just a couple of lines. Show me who you are!
§ Sentence Poem
A sentence poem is a one line poem that is formatted for dramatic effect. This form of poetry is a great way to practice effective and concise communication. You need to convey a message to your readers in only one sentence. Your sentence should send a powerful message to your audience.
§ Month Metaphor
A month metaphor poem is a free verse poem in which you chose a month and describe it based on a metaphor you have chosen. This form of poetry is used to demonstrate your understanding of metaphors. The metaphor you choose should be clear and obvious to the audience, and should effectively compare the similarity between the month you have chosen and the object/person/animal/thing to which you are comparing it. Basically, your reader should not have to guess or be left confused about what you are comparing the month to.
§ I Am
An I Am poem is a poem that is 100% about who you are. Your poem will have three stanzas, and will follow the following format (words in bold you will write, words in brackets you will replace with your own words):
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)
I pretend (something you 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 sad) I am (the first line of the poem)
I understand (something you know is true) I say (something you believe in) I dream (something you actually hope for) I try (something you make an effort about) I hope (something you actually hope for) I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
§ Parody poem modeled after “T’was the Night Before Christmas”
A parody is a literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect. You are going to write a parody of “T’was the Night Before Christmas.” Your poem does not have to be about Christmas – you are simply following the rhythm and rhyme scheme of the poem, but using your own theme and changing the words. Your poem does not have to be as long as the original, but should be a minimum of three stanzas.
§ Free Verse #1
Free verse can be a great way to really express yourself. Free verse poetry is just as it says – poetry that is written without proper rules about form, rhyme, rhythm, meter, etc. In free verse the poet makes their own rules and gets to decide how the poem should look, feel, and sound. Maybe you want to bold or italicize certain words for emphasis. Maybe you want to put one word on a line in isolation for dramatic effect. Whatever you want goes- but keep in mind, that your choices must be purposeful. You can not make spelling errors just because you feel like it. Do not insert commas randomly just because you feel like it. Your topic choice in free verse is wide open; however, your topic should relate back to our theme of All That I Am: Search for Self. Some examples of what could write about are memories, friendship, relationships, the battles of life, etc.
§ Shape Poem
A shape poem is written to take the shape of what you are writing about. For example, writing about crying may entail writing your poem in the shape of an eye with a tear falling from the eye. You decide what to write about, but your poem’s shape must represent the theme of the poem.
Your poetry book must:
§ Contain one of each of the required poems, as well as the song choice. If you love writing poetry and wish to include extra poems in your book you are, of course, welcome to do so; however, you will not receive extra marks and you must clearly indicate which ones are extra so that we can read them but not grade them.
§ Have a cover page or title page that contains your name, the date, and a title for your poetry book. Your title page should be attractive and flow with the theme and overall look of your assignment.
§ Have a table of contents. You may arrange your poems as you like – either by type of poem, theme, or even what fits the overall look that you are trying to create with your book. Be sure that you indicate on your table of contents which poem you are writing, and the title of that poem as you have titled it.
§ Be illustrated. Again, this may be with your own drawings, collages made from your photos and memorabilia or images you find in magazines and online, etc. Your illustrations should be purposeful and in some way reflect the topics and or themes of your poems.