Monthly Poems
In Art/Sketch book, students are to find a poem that is already written and print it off the internet. This poem will then be glued to the left side of the poetry book. Remember to include the author's name.
If the author's name can't be found you can list 'Author Unknown'.
Nothing else needs to be done to the left side of the poetry book.
On the right side, you are to write your own poem that relates to the published one, and illustrate it.
Each month, you will be asked to find AND write a poem with a specific format. Please check this page for the directions each month. The due date will always be announced in class.
It will be your responsibility to check this page and see the teacher if you have any
questions BEFORE the end of the month!
Poems not your thing? Scroll down to the bottom of the page for some tips for writing a successful poem!
MONTHLY POEM PROJECTS:
SEPTEMBER POEM
"I AM ME"
POEM
1. Find an example of an "I Am Me" poem on the internet and print if off. You will then glue this to the left side of your poetry book. Remember to give credit to the author of the poem. If you can't find the name of the author you can write 'Author Unknown'.
You don't need to do anything else to the left side of your poetry book.
2. Write and illustrate your own "I Am Me" poem on the right side of your poetry book.
Follow these guidelines for your poem:
FIRST STANZA
I am (2 special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something of curiosity)
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 bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand(something that is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you 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)
EXAMPLE OF AN "I AM ME" POEM
I am polite and kind
I wonder about my kids’ future
I hear a unicorn’s cry
I see Atlantis
I want to do it all over again
I am polite and kind
I pretend I am a princess
I feel an angel’s wings
I touch a summer’s cloud
I worry about violence
I cry for my Gram
I am polite and kind
I understand your love for me
I say children are our future
I dream for a quiet day
I try to do my best
I hope the success of my children
I am polite and kind
OCTOBER POEM
SHAPE POEM
The basic shape poem is written in a shape. There is a special shape poem called a "calligram." This poem takes on the shape of the
subject it is written about. A poem about rain would be written in the shape of a raindrop, a tulip poem in the shape of a tulip, a love poem in the shape of a heart, etc.
1. Find an example of a Shape poem on the internet and print if off. You will then glue this to the left side of your poetry book. Remember to give credit to the author of the poem. If you can't find the name of the author you can write 'Author Unknown'.
You don't need to do anything else to the left side of your poetry book.
2. Write and illustrate your own Shape poem on the right side of your poetry book.
YOUR SHAPE POEM MUST BE FALL OR
HALLOWEEN THEMED.
Example of Shape poem:
Source: http://shapepoems.co.uk/how_to_write_shape_poems.htm (Sep. 25, 2012)
NOVEMBER POEM
Thanksgiving Poem
1. Find an example of a Thanksgiving(or any poem that gives thanks for something) poem on the internet and print if off. You will then glue this to the left side of your poetry book. Remember to give credit to the author of the poem.
If you can't find the name of the author you can write 'Author Unknown'.
You don't need to do anything else to the left side of your poetry book.
2. Write and illustrate your own Thanksgiving poem on the right side of your poetry book. Your poem should describe the things you are thankful for or describe something about Thanksgiving.
EXAMPLES OF THANKSGIVING POEMS:
All in a Word
By Aileen Fisher
T for time to be together, turkey, talk, and tangy weather.
H for harvest stored away, home, and hearth, and holiday.
A for autumn's frosty art, and abundance in the heart.
N for neighbors, and November, nice things, new things to remember.
K for kitchen, kettles' croon, kith and kin expected soon.
S for sizzles, sights, and sounds, and something special that abounds.
That spells ~~~THANKS---for joy in living and a jolly good Thanksgiving.
*IF YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE AN ACROSTIC TYPE POEM LIKE 'ALL IN A WORD', YOU
MUST WRITE A SENTENCE OR PHRASE FOR EACH LETTER.
THANKSGIVING IS....
Thanksgiving is
a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider,
whose guidance and care go before us...
and whose love is with us forever.
Thanksgiving is
a time to reflect on the changes,
to remember that we, too, grow and change
from one season of life to another.
Thanksgiving is
a time of changing seasons, when leaves turn golden
in Autumn's wake and apples are crisp
in the first chill breezes of fall.
Let us remember the true meaning of Thanksgiving.
As we see the beauty of Autumn,
let us acknowledge the many blessings which are ours...
let us think of our families and friends..
and let us give thanks in our hearts.
~~Author Unknown.~~
DECEMBER POEM
There is no poem due in December.
JANUARY POEM
ABC POEM
1. Find an example of an ABC poem on the internet and print if off. You will then glue this to the left side of your poetry book. Remember to give credit to the author of the poem. If you can't find the name of the author you can write 'Author Unknown'.
You don't need to do anything else to the left side of your poetry book.
2. Write and illustrate your own ABC poem on the right side of your poetry book
EXAMPLE OF ABC POEM:
Snowflakes
Astonishingly beautiful
Cold, darting
Exciting frost
Graceful heavens
Icy jewels
Keen lace
Majestic needles
of pretty, quiet,
Raining snow
Turning under
Vibrant Winds
Xciting,
yearly
Zany
Taken from http://manassas.k12.va.us/round/ClassWeb/Slough/Poetry/abc.htm
FEBRUARY POEM
Valentine Cinquain Poem
Cinquain (pronounced sin-cane) is a non-rhyming five-line poem that
focuses on imagery and the natural world. The form has old roots — all
the way back to medieval France.
The structure for a cinquain looks like this:
Line 1: One word title, a noun that identifies your topic
Line 2: Two adjectives that describe your topic
Line 3: Three "ing" verbs that describe action
Line 4: A phrase that describes something about your topic
Line 5: A noun that is a synonym or another way to name your topic
*Adapted from www.readingrockets.org
Example of Valentine Cinquain Poem
“My Wonderful Valentine”
Mother
kind, helpful
caring, loving, sharing
– a special person in my life
friend
*Adapted from www.lessonpages.com
March
Color Poem
A color poem is about your favorite color. Express your feelings about a single color with analogies or similes or list nouns which are (or remind you of) that color. Another easy form is to use the 5 senses-looks like, sounds like, smells like, tastes like, feels like.
You may choose to do your poem over any color.
You poem must be at least 10 lines long.
Example of color poem:
Green is .... the color of spring.
Green is .... renewal.
Green is .... the color of envy.
Green is .... a new crayon.
Green tastes like .... a crisp apple.
Green smells like .... fresh cut grass.
Green sounds like .... a croaking frog.
Green feels like .... soft, velvety moss.
Green looks like .... shiny emeralds.
Green makes me .... go.
Green is .... my favorite color.
*Adapted from www.kathimitchell.com and www.readwritethink.org
April
Diamante Poem
The Diamante is a form similar to the Cinquain.
The text forms the shape of a diamond.
Line 1: Noun or subject - one word
Line 2: Two Adjectives that describe line 1
Line 3: Three 'ing words that describe line 1
Line 4: Four nouns - the first two are connected with
line 1; the last two are connected with line 7
Line 5: Three 'ing words that describe line 7
Line 6: Two adjectives that describe line 7
Line 7: Noun Synonym for the subject
Diamante poems can by
synonyms or antonyms.
Synonym Diamante
In this diamante, the words “Monsters” and “Creatures”
mean the same thing, so they are synonyms.
Monsters
Evil, Spooky
Howling, Shrieking, Wailing
Ghosts, Vampires, Goblins, Witches
Flying, Scaring, Terrifying
Creepy, Crawly
Creatures
Antonym Diamante
In this diamante, you might say that the words “Cat”
and “Dog” are opposites, or “antonyms,” so this is an
antonym diamante.
Cat
Gentle, Sleepy
Purring, Meowing, Scratching
Whiskers, Fur, Collar, Leash
Barking, Licking, Digging
Slobbery, Playful
Dog
*Adapted from www.kathimitchell.com and www.poetry4kids.com
There is no poem due during
month of May.
Poems not your thing? Here are some
tips for writing a successful poem!
(Info from www2.scholastic.com)
Go to a place where you can concentrate.
It's pretty hard to collect your thoughts when your computer is 8 feet away, tempting you to IM your best bud, your friend calls you every 5 minutes to tell you about her crush, or the football game is on the TV in the next room. Go somewhere that's conducive to creating your best work. Some poets need silence to compose quality verse; others thrive surrounded by hustle, bustle, noise, and people. Try writing in a few different places before you commit to a location, whether it's the coffee shop down the street or by the big willow tree in your backyard.
Start writing and don't pick up the pen from the page for at least 5 minutes.
Once you've found a poetry-writing spot, whip out your pen and notebook and start writing. It doesn't really matter about what — just keep the pen on the page for at least 5 minutes. Don't worry about punctuation or spelling or neatness. Nobody's grading this portion of your poetry! This is an exercise to flex the creative muscle in your brain. When the time is up, you may realize that a lot of what you wrote isn't going to make it into your poem — but with a little luck and a lot of writing, you'll find a string of words that you're proud to have created.
Use all your senses.
Refresher course: you have 5 — that's right, 5 — senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. In poetry, you can express them all. In an effective poem, you'll often find that the best lines are the ones where the words describe something so vividly that you can "see" what the author's describing in your imagination. Sopay attention to how the distinctive "dings" in your beat-up bicycle look, the taste of your mom's made-from-scratch chocolate-chip banana bread, the scent of laundry just out of the dryer, the way a new pair of running shoes feels, and the sound of a thunderstorm in the distance. All of those sense experiences can easily become a poem.
Play some music.
Poetry is meant to be read aloud, so when you write your descriptive, evocative, expressive, insert-other-adjective-here poem, say the words as you write them. This will help you get a feel for the rhythm of your verse, which is one of the most important aspects of poetry. One of the best ways to do this? If you can deal with the potential distraction, play music while you write. You'll be tapping your foot to your favorite tunes, subconsciously using the rhythm as a frame for your own words.
Look at the mundane in a different way.
Ever get up really, really close to something — so close that you have to adjust your eyes by squinting? Try it sometime. When you look at ordinary objects in a different light or from a new perspective, all of a sudden those things aren't nearly as common. So try something different, like looking at your bedroom while standing on your head or getting as close as you can to the bathroom mirror to describe your own eye. Finding unusual details in stuff you see or do every day is all part of poetry.
Do something out of the ordinary with your words.
The structure of a sentence is less strict in poetry than in your usual Language Arts class. Rearrange the order of your words or try out descriptions you wouldn't normally use. As long as it makes sense, anything goes — if it's complete gibberish though, your teacher won't understand what you're trying to do creatively and you probably won't get the best grade.
