POETRY WRITING

How to Write a Poem, in 7 Steps

 Devise a Topic. The easiest way to start writing a poem is to begin with a topic. ...

 Journal. At this point, you've got a topic for your poem. ...

 Think About Form. ...

 Write the First Line. ...

 Develop Ideas and Devices. ...

 Write the Closing Line. ...

 Edit, Edit, Edit!

 

“Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.”

—Former US Poet Laureate Rita Dove

POETRY CONVEYS FEELING

People sometimes imagine poetry as stuffy, abstract, and difficult to understand. Some poetry may be this way, but in reality poetry isn’t about being obscure or confusing. Poetry is a lyrical, emotive method of self-expression, using the elements of poetry to highlight feelings and ideas.

A poem should make the reader feel something.

In other words, a poem should make the reader feel something—not by telling them what to feel, but by evoking feeling directly.

 

READ ALLLLLLLL THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE STARTING THIS CHECKPOINT!! YOU WILL BE LOST IF YOU DON’T!

READ!! Directions: In your Final Product, you deliver a pitch explaining why an artifact from our times is poetry and should be included in the Literary Canon. In this Packet, you walk through the steps to brainstorm, plan, and outline your presentation. Follow the directions and complete each step, and by the end, you will have a basic outline and be ready to practice giving your presentation!

READ The Prompt!!

Final Product Prompt: Deliver a presentation in which you...

• Introduce a text or artifact from pop culture and explain why it qualifies as poetry.
• Explain how its word choices create an overall impact on its meaning or tone.
• Share your opinion about the current status of the literary canon.
• Persuade the audience that the text you have chosen should be a part of the literary canon.
• Engage the audience with public speaking strategies and visual aids.

Break It Down

Part 1: Which Poem?: What artifact will you use for this pitch? Name it below.

Poem’s title and author

Poem Title:

Author:

Paste poem here:

Part 2: Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact qualifies as a poem. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It’s Poetry

1.

2.

3.

READ!!! Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact should go down in history as part of the Literary Canon. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It Should Be in the Canon

Word Choice Effects or Meanings: What are some specific meanings/feelings or effects created by the word choices in the poem?

Why it’s Poetry: How do these Word Choice examples demonstrate what it means to be a poem?

Draft an Argumentative Claim / Thesis Statement

Summarize the ideas you highlighted above into one main thesis statement.

Argumentative Claim:

READ!! Gather Evidence

Directions: Now that you have a plan for the main arguments in your Poetry Pitch, gather evidence.

1. Find at least 2 quotations and/or evidence from some or all of the following sources:
2. The text of your poem
3. The Poetry of Pop Reading
4. The Literary Canon Text Packet
5. Briefly note how the quotations support your claims so you can easily insert them into your Poetry Pitch Outline in the next step.

Quotation

How It Supports My Claim

Put it All Together

Directions: Complete the Cannon background information

Example:

Title of Cannon: (Renaissance)

Years that include the Cannon: (1300-1600)

Describe the Cannon: (Time period when art, literature, and ideas became very important and a lot of art was produced)

Title of Cannon:

Years that include the Cannon:

Describe the Cannon:

#

Topic (reasons why this poem should be included in the Literary Canon)

Contents of Points

1

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

2

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

READ ALLLLL. THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE STARTING THIS CHECKPOINT!! YOU WILL BE LOST IF YOU DON’T!

READ!! Directions: In your Final Product, you deliver a pitch explaining why an artifact from our times is poetry and should be included in the Literary Canon. In this Packet, you walk through the steps to brainstorm, plan, and outline your presentation. Follow the directions and complete each step, and by the end, you will have a basic outline and be ready to practice giving your presentation!

READ The Prompt!!

Final Product Prompt: Deliver a presentation in which you...

• Introduce a text or artifact from pop culture and explain why it qualifies as poetry.

• Explain how its word choices create an overall impact on its meaning or tone.

• Share your opinion about the current status of the literary canon.

• Persuade the audience that the text you have chosen should be a part of the literary canon.

• Engage the audience with public speaking strategies and visual aids.

Break It Down

Part 1: Which Poem?: What artifact will you use for this pitch? Name it below.

Poem’s title and author

Poem Title:

Author:

Paste poem here:

Part 2: Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact qualifies as a poem. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It’s Poetry

1.

2.

3.

READ!!! Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact should go down in history as part of the Literary Canon. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It Should Be in the Canon

Word Choice Effects or Meanings: What are some specific meanings/feelings or effects created by the word choices in the poem?

Why it’s Poetry: How do these Word Choice examples demonstrate what it means to be a poem?

Draft an Argumentative Claim / Thesis Statement

Summarize the ideas you highlighted above into one main thesis statement.

Argumentative Claim:

READ!! Gather Evidence

Directions: Now that you have a plan for the main arguments in your Poetry Pitch, gather evidence.

1 Find at least 2 quotations and/or evidence from some or all of the following sources:

2 The text of your poem

3 The Poetry of Pop Reading

4 The Literary Canon Text Packet

5 Briefly note how the quotations support your claims so you can easily insert them into your Poetry Pitch Outline in the next step.

Quotation

How It Supports My Claim

Put it All Together

Directions: Complete the Cannon background information

Example:

Title of Cannon: (Renaissance)

Years that include the Cannon: (1300-1600)

Describe the Cannon: (Time period when art, literature, and ideas became very important and a lot of art was produced)

Title of Cannon:

Years that include the Cannon:

Describe the Cannon:

#

Topic (reasons why this poem should be included in the Literary Canon)

Contents of Points

1

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

2

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

Poetry Pitch

READ ALLLLLLLL THE DIRECTIONS BEFORE STARTING THIS CHECKPOINT!! YOU WILL BE LOST IF YOU DON’T!

READ!! Directions: In your Final Product, you deliver a pitch explaining why an artifact from our times is poetry and should be included in the Literary Canon. In this Packet, you walk through the steps to brainstorm, plan, and outline your presentation. Follow the directions and complete each step, and by the end, you will have a basic outline and be ready to practice giving your presentation!

READ The Prompt!!

Final Product Prompt: Deliver a presentation in which you...

Introduce a text or artifact from pop culture and explain why it qualifies as poetry.

Explain how its word choices create an overall impact on its meaning or tone.

Share your opinion about the current status of the literary canon.

Persuade the audience that the text you have chosen should be a part of the literary canon.

Engage the audience with public speaking strategies and visual aids.

Break It Down

Part 1: Which Poem?: What artifact will you use for this pitch? Name it below.

Poem’s title and author

Poem Title:

Author:

Paste poem here:

Part 2: Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact qualifies as a poem. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It’s Poetry

1.

2.

3.

READ!!! Brainstorm: Make a list of all the reasons why you think this artifact should go down in history as part of the Literary Canon. ***Use your information from your notes and understanding of the Canon to support your answer.

Reasons Why It Should Be in the Canon

Word Choice Effects or Meanings: What are some specific meanings/feelings or effects created by the word choices in the poem?

Why it’s Poetry: How do these Word Choice examples demonstrate what it means to be a poem?

Draft an Argumentative Claim / Thesis Statement

Summarize the ideas you highlighted above into one main thesis statement.

Argumentative Claim:

READ!! Gather Evidence

Directions: Now that you have a plan for the main arguments in your Poetry Pitch, gather evidence.

Find at least 2 quotations and/or evidence from some or all of the following sources:

The text of your poem

The Poetry of Pop Reading

The Literary Canon Text Packet

Briefly note how the quotations support your claims so you can easily insert them into your Poetry Pitch Outline in the next step.

Quotation

How It Supports My Claim

Put it All Together

Directions: Complete the Cannon background information

Example:

Title of Cannon: (Renaissance)

Years that include the Cannon: (1300-1600)

Describe the Cannon: (Time period when art, literature, and ideas became very important and a lot of art was produced)

Title of Cannon:

Years that include the Cannon:

Describe the Cannon:

#

Topic (reasons why this poem should be included in the Literary Canon)

Contents of Points

1

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

2

Opinion:

Reason:

Example:

When you think your outline passes the Quick Check, check your work with a teacher. Then, you’re ready to draft your final presentation!