WRITING POEMS Sept 22-26 Alexis. A. Fruia 6th Grade English
OBJECTIVE v Understand free-verse poetry. v Plan, draft, revise, edit and publish a free verse poem.
INFO v Unlike other forms of poetry, free-verse poetry does not have regular patterns. Like other kinds of poems, free-verse poems are filled with sensory details that evoke vivid images. The sounds of the words are as important as the words themselves. Poetry is meant to be read aloud, and so poets pay close attention to each word and its relationship to every other word in the poem. v Page 365
FOG BY CARL SANDBURG The fog comes on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent launches and then moves on.
WINTER POEM BY NIKKI GIOVANNI once a snowflake fell on my brow and I loved it so much and I kissed it and it was happy and called its cousins and brothers and a web of snow engulfed me then I reached to love them all and I squeezed them and they became a spring rain and I stood perfectly still and was a flower
FREE-VERSE POEM Many free-verse poems contain sensory details. Sight, sound, smells, and other sensations let the reader experience the topic of the poem. Graphic elements such as capital letter or varied line lengths can add interests and emphasis to a poem. Caleb Carter wrote the following poem about the life of a firehouse dog.
WHITE FLAME BY CALEB CARTER People call me White Flame. I ride on a wailing fire truck As it roars down the crowded streets. I leap off the to sniff the smoky air And face the blazing flames. I splash through the hose s spray and sit by the little gray girl And lick the salty tears From her sooty cheeks
RESPOND TO READING v On our own paper reflect on the ideas, organization, and voice of the free-verse poem. v Development of ideas List the five details that refer to the senses. Wailing, roars, crowded, sniff, smoky, blazing, splash, spray, little, gray, salty, sooty
RESPOND TO READING v Organization v What words and letter sounds are repeated in this poem? The word I is repeated three times. Several sounds are repeated in different lines, The s sound is repeated most often some reasons the author uses the s sound again and again include: it sounds like flames, and water from hoses; its harsh sound creates a tone the dog s presence eases.
RESPOND TO READING v Voice Who is the speaker in the poem? The speaker is the dog featured in the picture How does the writer s use of graphic elements affect your reading of the poem? The shape of the poem looks like drifting smoke.
PREWRITING v Selecting a Topic v Poets are inspired by all sorts of things. You will be writing a poem about an animals you would like to be. Caleb used a clustering strategy to determine an appropriate animal for the topic of his poem.
PREWRITING SELECTING A TOPIC v Choose an animal that you know well enough to describe in a poem. Students should be familiar with their animal, either through real-life experience or though previous reading. v Create a Cluster- List at least eight animals so as to give them plenty to choose from.
CLUSTER CREATE A CLUSTER
GATHERING DETAILS v Sensory details are key to creating vivid images in the mind of the reader of the poem. They are a good way to organize the draft of your poem. Caleb created the following sensory chart to help him plan.
GATHERING DETAILS v If you had your eyes closed, what clues would let you know that you are close to the animals that you are writing about? v When you see the animal, do you what to reach out and touch it? Or do you want to keep your distance? v What id your strongest impression of this animal?
SENSORY CHART
PREWRITING GATHER SENSORY DETAILS v Develop a draft of your peom by first creating a sensory chart like the one above. Organize your char to include details about the animal and about the setting of your poem.
PREWRITING U S I N G P O E T RY T E C H N I Q U E S v FYI v Poets can make up original words that describe sound. I challenge you to think of words that embody animal sounds. v Examples - House running: Klumpada Klumpada Klumpada - Dog snarling: arragah - Bird greeting the day: slee dee dee dee
PREWRITING U S I N G P O E T RY T E C H N I QU E S v Poets play with the sound of words. Two simple techniques will help your create poetic sounds as you write your free-verse poem. v Onomatopoeia- is using words that sound like the noises they name Examples: I ride on a wailing fire truck As I roars down crowded streets. I leap off to sniff the smoky air And face the blazing flames.
PREWRITING U S I N G P O E T RY T E C H N I Q U E S v Alliteration- is repeating beginning consonant sounds. Examples: I splash through the hose s spray And sit by the little gray girl And lick the salty tears From her sooty cheeks
PREWRITING USE POETRY TECHNIQUES v Look back at your sensory chart. Circle any words that sound like the noise they name (onomatopoeia). Then underline words that start with the same consonant (alliteration). Add a few more of each kind of word. Share your findings with a partner.
DRAFTING D E V E L O P I N G YO U R F I R S T D R A F T v Now that you have fathered sensory details and learned two poetry techniques, you are ready to write the first draft of a poem. Try these tips. v Imagine being the animal. What things do you sense? What thoughts do you think? How do you feel about your world? v Tell your story. What important things do you do? What will be happening in your poem? ( your animal should be doing something) v Play with words. Use poetic techniques to add interest. Think about fun ways you can use words, letters, and line lengths.
WRITING YOUR FIRST DRAFT v Before we get started I want you to think of yourself as the animal you have chosen. I want you to describe what your see, hear, smell, taste, and feel before you begin writing your first draft. REMINDER!!!! Refer to your sensory charts as you write your first draft. Feel free to use some details from your charts and add others as they come to your mind. J
DRAFTING v Write your first draft. Create the first draft of your poem. Write as if you were the animal, telling about something that happens in your life. Use poetic techniques, like onomatopoeia or alliteration, to add interest to you poem. Read your poem to a classmate. Discuss the techniques.
REVISING I M P ROV I N G YO U R P O E M v Exchange your first draft with a partner and think about these traits of writing as you make suggestions for revision. v Development of Ideas- are the ideas in the poem developed clearly? Does each line add meaning to the one before it? v Organization- Does one through lead to another? v Voice- Does my writing voice express how the animal thinks and feels? Do I use poetic techniques to show my individual voice?
REVISING YOUR WRITING v Make changes to improve your poem using the new feedback you have received from your partner. Continue working with your poem until you like the way it looks and sounds.