Mid-week Morsel: Write a Poem

Most people enjoy poems.  However, many are intimidated by the thought of writing one.  Such was the case for my daughter.  She was asked to write a poem about summer for her Literature class.  Initially, she was overwhelmed.  She didn't know where to begin.  I helped her get started by showing her examples of different types of poems, and letting her choose the style that appealed to her most.  Next, we used a graphic organizer in her workbook to generate ideas and focus her thoughts.  I created a free graphic organizer for you similar to what we used.  She did a great job.  Here is her finished product...

Can you tell I'm a proud Momma?  As we started this process, I started gathering resources, not only to use with my daughter, but to share with you all as well.  Here they are...

The first step is to learn about different types of poetry.  ThinkQuest and Creative Writing Now were the best websites I found that really explained not only the basics of poetry writing, but the details of the different types of poetry as well.  

Now comes the hard part; actually writing a poem.  For a quick burst of inspiration, use Scholastic's Poetry Idea Engine.  It's a cute little website where a series of simple choices will help you build haikus, free verse, limericks, and more.  The folks at Magnet Poetry created a Kids Area where kids can use digital versions of their word magnets to build poetry online.  It's a great alternative when a blank sheet of paper is too daunting.  If you're looking for an all-in-one site, Kenn Nesbitt's Poetry 4 Kids website has great how-to's that explain the differences between types of poetry and give advice on how to write them.  However, if you're looking for ways to incorporate poetry into your curriculum, Poets.org has a great collection of curriculum and lesson plans available.

Finally, a poem is nothing if it is not shared with others.  First and foremost, I would love for you to get creative with the poem's presentation and post a picture of it on my Facebook page and my Google+ page.  I have also found a few other ways to share your child(ren)'s poems!  Scholastic allows you to upload the poem so that it can be shared on their website.  If your child has a competitive spirit, Library of Poetry and Poetic Power both run poetry contests.  Both contests are free to enter; and who knows, maybe your child's poem will win and be published!

Karissa