Poetry in Our Classroom

We spend six weeks in spring reading and writing poetry. We have written poems here and there throughout the year, but by this time in the year, the students have an understanding of adjectives, similes, metaphors, and have spent time writing on many different topics. It is a perfect time to dive into poetry- and they love it!

Some of the different types of poems we study are:

Cinquains

1st line- one word title
2nd line- two words describing the title
3rd line- three verbs (-ing) for the title
4th line- a four word sentence about the title
5th line- another name for the title

Example

Horses
Big - Friendly
Running - Jumping - Kicking
I like to ride
Ponies

Senses Poem

Spring
I see green grass.
I hear birds singing.
I smell fresh flowers.
I touch Easter eggs.
I taste falling raindrops.

List Poem

Pizza
We love pizza.
Yummy, yummy, pizza.
Pepperoni pizza
Cheese pizza
Mushroom pizza
Pineapple pizza
Hot pizza
Gooey pizza
We love pizza!

 Acrostic Poem (name poems)

Jump ropes at recess
Everyone is her friend
Shy with new people
Silly with her friends
Is helpful in reading
Comes early to school
Always is thoughtful

Free Verse Poetry

After studying a few different types of poems and reading many, many more, the students have learned that:

• Poems can be short or long.
• Poems do not have to rhyme.
• Poems can be about anything.
• Poems do not need proper punctuation.

We practice a few free verse poems as a class before I send the students off to write. Some students are able to create these with ease, while others will lean on form poetry until they are more comfortable with expressing themselves creatively.

Couplets

Two lines that rhyme.

Example

School is my very favorite place.
Each morning I see my teacher’s smiling face.