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Are you ready to introduce poetry in your middle school ELA classes but feeling uncertain about where to start? Teaching poetry doesn't have to be difficult or confusing. And, you don't have to create an entire unit before giving kids the opportunity to write poems. April is National Poetry Month, so let's check out some student-approved poetry writing ideas to help you get started.
1. KENNING POETRY
What's Kenning Poetry, you say? A kenning poem describes something without saying what it is, much like a metaphor. Each line in a kenning poem is a simple phrase of ONLY two words. These words can be joined using a hyphen and are a combination of a noun and a verb (ing or er ending) or a noun and noun used in place of one noun. The format creates a kind of puzzle for the reader.
Directions for writing a Kenning poem:
Choose a topic or subject for your poem
Brainstorm at least four or more compound phrases to describe your subject
Put the phrases together in a way that is easily read and makes sense
An easy way to introduce this format is to have students use themselves as the subject. You'll want them to focus on choosing vivid verbs to keep the poem interesting. Once they understand the process, encourage students to write poems using different subjects like characters, themes, and ideas from their reading.
Food-devouring
Animal-saving
Baseball-playing
Video-watching
Mess-making
Family-loving
2. POETRY SQUARES
Another student favorite is Poetry Squares. I like to introduce this poetic form to my students because it motivates them to think critically and creatively. To begin, students create poems using a predetermined list of words that may not seem related at first. They must "force-fit" the words by coming up with a creative solution to the combination.
Poetry square poems can be 4x4, 5x5, or 6x6. For example, a 4x4 poem is created by writing four lines of poetry with four words per line. Students must also use each word in the square in the exact order it appears. They may use the words to begin or end the line of poetry.
Blue Skies Birthday
We all love birthdays
Time to celebrate me
Hoping I am happy
Skies are blue today
At first, students find this type of poetry a bit challenging, but once they've successfully written a few, they love the format and beg for more! Be sure to model the process with your class and then allow them to work in groups to create poems before trying some on their own. Download the Poetry Squares resource.
3. CONCRETE POETRY
Concrete poetry, sometimes called shape poetry, is a form in which the words create shapes that represent the poem’s subject as a picture. Try this concrete poem generator with your students.
4. NATURE PERSONIFIED POEM
Nature Personified poems are perfect for celebrating Earth Day and spring. Use these directions when teaching this format to students.
Title: (Type of nature/natural event)
Line 1: Title (how does it happen, arrive, or begin)
Line 2: (Tell what it does)
Line 3: (Tell where it happens)
Line 4: (Tell how it performs or works)
Line 5: (Explain how it leaves/ends)
Here is an example you can use:
Rain
It rushes down from its playground
Watering earth’s parched soil.
Rain doesn’t search for the perfect spot to fall,
It plays hide and seek or sprinkles little kisses,
And then disappears until next time.
Put a twist on the nature personified poem by having students choose a theme or topic from their reading and use the same format.
5. COLOR POEMS
Another student favorite is the color poem. A color poem is one that uses a specific color to express the mood of the poet.
Line 1: Your color
Line 2: An item that is your color
Line 3: Another item that is your color
Line 4: Your color sounds like
Line 5: Your color tastes like
Line 6: Your color feels like
Line 7: Your color sounds like
Line 8: Your color looks like
Line 9: An action the color does
Here's an example poem for the color green:
Green
Green is life abundant and growing
Green is freedom flowing through your veins
It fills the air with sweet music of spring
It tastes like fresh cherry limeade in the summer
And feels like goosebumps on my arm
Green sounds like spinning tires on a race track
It looks like a soft blanket covering the earth.
Green reminds us to be grateful.
*If you want to differentiate the assignment for higher-level thinkers, have them replace the word green with synonyms throughout the poem.
6. LIST POEMS
Students love writing list poems because it's more like a natural extension of their conversation. The List Poem consists of a series of items, actions, or thoughts arranged in a list format. The subject is open to any topic, which is another reason it is a student favorite.
Things I Love About Summer:
Hanging out with friends,
Cold drinks on hot days,
Bare feet in warm sand,
Fun times with family,
Endless days of doing nothing.
7. THE 5 W's POEM
A 5 W's poem answers the questions Who, What, Where, When, and Why about a certain subject or event and should include a complete thought about the topic. This type of formula poem is another easy format for students who might be reluctant to write poetry. Once they have answered the questions, have them remove the question words to create the poem. Here is an example:
The girl with a hair as bright as the sun
Spent her days exploring the forest
Among the towering trees and whispering leaves
Every weekend in the afternoon
To find peace and adventure in nature's charm.
8. SIMILE POEM
Simile poems use similes, of course! Students practice writing similes using "like" or "as" comparing objects, people, or emotions. Encourage them to include imagery, creating a vivid picture. You can use this example as a model for your students:
The baby's laughter is like a melody,
Floating in the breeze,
Sweet and uplifting,
Filling the room with joy and ease.
9. TANKA
Tanka is a Japanese form of poetry similar to haiku but longer, with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The subject of a Tanka is often focused on emotional or personal experiences. You may have to review syllable-counting with your students, but this is a great prescription poem to introduce in your classroom. Once students get the hang of the pattern, they will beg you to write more! Here is one to share with your classes:
Autumn leaves fall down (5)
Crisp breeze whispers through the trees (7)
Memories linger (5)
Of laughter and love once shared (7)
In the warmth of summer's glow (7)
10. TILE POEMS
You’ve probably heard of magnetic poetry. Maybe you’ve got some of those magnetic word tiles on your fridge right now. If you're not familiar with it, magnetic poetry started out as the idea of individual words printed on small magnets, which might be related to a particular theme or topic. The magnetic word tiles are creatively arranged into poetry on a refrigerator or other metal surface.
I designed a tile poetry activity that helped motivate and engage my reluctant writers. It's a similar idea to magnetic poetry. Download the free digital tile poetry resource to use in your classroom.
If you love this post, be sure to subscribe to the weekly Cheat Sheet to get freebies and more teaching tips and ideas just like these. Check out digital poetry options in the Digital Poetry Unit and Activities bundle.
➡️ Teach poetry with ease using some of my favorite resources below including the FREE Emotion Poetry resource!
Make writing poetry fun in the beginning with simple formats. Write and share your own poetry examples with students, too, and give them a lot of opportunities for creative play with words. Once they become more confident, it will be easier to dive into more complex types of poetry and analysis.
Comment with your great ideas for incorporating National Poetry Month in April. I'd love to hear your plans!
Happy teaching!
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