Mrs. Harris read us a novel of journal entries that were all written as free verse poems. Who knew that almost anything can be poetry?! 

Here is a trick to turn a full piece of writing into free verse poetry.  We are going to use our practice HLAT, which was a journal prompt. 

1. Make a copy of your HLAT Google Doc
2. Rename your new copy "Name HLAT Poem"
3. After each period or end punctuation press enter
4. Delete some words and sentences in your writing until just the most important images and ideas remain
5. Voila! Your journal entry is now a free verse poem. 

I would say "happy writing" but really it is more appropriate to wish you "happy deleting"!

Have fun,
Mrs. F.

April 30 - Final Free For All

It's the final day! Today is a poetry free for all! Write any poem about anything you want.

Maybe this video will inspire you. 

Enjoy,
Mrs. F.

April 29th - Pathways

Pathways

Images are a great prompt for poetry. Check out the Edmonton Pipelines website. The author took photos of pathways in Edmonton and then wrote about them. Her writing is not in the form of poetry, but her language is very poetic. 

Choose a picture from the website and write a poem inspired by that pathway or write a poem about pathways in general. 

Cheers,
Mrs. F.

April 28 - Feeling Poem

Poems often describe an emotion. Try writing a poem to describe a single emotion. 

A riddle poem may work well for this prompt, where you leave the emotion as a surprise for the last line. 

Here's my quick attempt:

Emotion Poem
by Kelly Flasha

Laughter bubbles
Skin prickles
Spine tingles
Eyes crinkle
Elated

Remember to use our feelings thermometers if you are having trouble thinking of a good feelings word!

When you are finished your poem post it to the blog.

Happy writing,
Mrs. F.

April 25 - Funny Friday Poems

Funny Friday Poems

Why? Just because we can!

Now you get to write a funny poem for Funny Poem Friday. Anything goes, but please keep the toilet humor to a minimum. 

Cheers,

Mrs. F.

April 24 - Kenn Nesbitt - Poet

Check out poetry from Ken Nesbitt on his site Poetry4Kids. Below is an animation of his poem My Puppy Punched Me In The Eye. 

After reading Ken Nesbitt's poems, what kind of poem are you inspired to write? 

Here is what came to my mind after I read Ken's food poems. This poem is based on a memory of my sister and green beans. 

Dinner Table

by Kelly Flasha

Hide under the dinner table

Green beans that she was unable

To eat for they were much too tough.

Who would make kids eat such stuff?

Happy writing,

Mrs. F.

Extra - Poem in Your Pocket Day

Extra Poem if you want to write one :)

April 24th is Poem in You pocket Day! Did you ask someone if they have a poem to read to you? Did you read your poem to someone? 

Write a poem to use as your Poem In Your Pocket. It can be any style you choose. 


Mrs. F.

April 23 - Rain

Write a poem about rain. You can use any form you like. 

Mrs. F. 

April 22 - Shel Silverstein - Poet

Check out the poetry of Shel Silverstein.  What kind of poem does Shel inspire you to write? 

Shel Silverstein Haiku
by Kelly Flasha

Imagination
Brings laughter to all children
Sidewalk never ends

April 17 - Free Verse

Free verse poetry can be both easy and hard to write. Free verse poems do not have to rhyme and they do not have to have a certain number of syllables in each line. You are free to write whatever you want! Sometimes it can be tricky to come up with a strong poem when there are no rules to follow. Click on this link to find out some tips and tricks for writing free verse poems. 

*Remember - your free verse poem should create vivid images for your reader!

You may want to think about:
- using similes or metaphors
- including descriptive words
- using onomatopoeia (sound words)
- describing movement
- creating mood

Here is a very quick poem I wrote while I was in class:

Poetry Class
by:  Kelly Flasha

Keys click
Pencils scratch
Children lean close to glowing screens.

A whisper 
A giggle
Words come alive. 

Enjoy your freedom,
Mrs. F.

April 16 - Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia =  words which imitate sounds of objects or actions

Click here to see  how to pronounce this massive word!

Sounds of words are important in poetry since poems are meant to be read aloud. Try using sound words in your poems to create interest.

Here are some examples of sound words:
snap     crackle     pop     sizzle     rumble    thump   bang     swoosh 

This poem uses onomatopoeia to create vivid images. It is from the book How to Write Poems:  Pin Your Ideas To The Page! by Wes Magee. 

The Waterfall

Over rugged rocks
the waterfall tumbles
            and rumbles.

In winter
it gasps, groans,
           and grumbles.

But in summer it's quiet.
It just whispers
           and mumbles.

Try brainstorming sound words for the following:
- loud noises
- quiet noises
- animal noises
- sounds at school
- sounds at night
- sounds in the park
- sounds at the beach

If you are stuck check out this list of sound words to help you write your poem. 

Here is my attempt at a sound poem - I found this style quite challenging!

The Lake
by Kelly Flasha

Crunching across hot rocks
Leaves rustle in the breeze

Water laps at the dock 
Boards creek under feet

Swish, splash!
In the water at last.

April 15 - Cinquain

Here is the pronunciation of a cinquain.  Below is a dictionary definition of cinqain.

A cinquain is a five-line poem that was invented by Adelaide Crapsey. She was an American poet who took her inspiration from Japanese haiku and tanka. A collection of poems, titled Verse, was published in 1915 and included 28 cinquains.

Cinquains are particularly vivid in their imagery and are meant to convey a certain mood or emotion. 

Below is a Cinquain from the book Fly With Poetry:  An ABC of Poetry written and illustrated by Avis Harley. 

If you are stuck check out Ken Nesbitt's tips for writing a cinquian. Below are links to examples of Cinquain poems:
- http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/cinquain-examples.html
- http://tech4kids.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/cinquain-poems/
- http://www.squidoo.com/kenneths-cinquain-poems#module151352461
- http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/davidc/6c_files/Poem%20pics/cinquaindescrip.htm

Here is my attempt:

A Poem

by Kelly Flasha

Poem

Simple yet hard

Words flying through my brain

Tapping rhythms, seeking out rhymes

To write

Happy writing, 
Mrs. F.

April 14 - The Limerick

Check our the information below from

Giggle Poetry

on how to write limericks.

How to Write a Limerick by Bruce Lansky

To help you get started writing limericks, here’s some helpful information about writing limericks. To begin, a limerick is a funny little poem containing five lines. It has a very distinctive rhythm and rhyme pattern. Rhyme Pattern: The last words of the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with each other. We’ll call those rhyming words “A,” however the words could be “ Peru,” “shoe,” and “true” as illustrated in the first poem below or “Tim,” “swim,” and “him” as illustrated in the second poem below. And the last words of the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other. We’ll call those rhyming words “B,” however the words could be “night” and “fright” in the first example or “dock” and “rock” in the second example. Rhythm Pattern: The first, second, and fifth lines all have this rhythm pattern: da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (notice there are 3 DUMS or beats). Say, “There once was a fellow named Tim” out loud. Now say, “da DUM da da DUM da da DUM” out loud. Notice that both have the same rhythm. The third and fourth lines have a different rhythm pattern: da DUM da da DUM (notice there are 2 DUMS or beats). Say, “He fell off the dock” out loud. Now say “da DUM da da DUM” out loud. Notice that both have the same rhythm. Here is a very famous limerick. Notice both the rhyme and rhythm patterns. 1. There was an old man from Peru, (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) 2. who dreamed he was eating his shoe. (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) 3. He awoke in the night (B) da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS) 4. with a terrible fright, (B) da da DUM da da DUM (2 DUMS) 5. and found out that it was quite true. (A) da DUM da da DUM da da DUM (3 DUMS) When you write a limerick, make sure that it has the same AABBA rhyme pattern. Make sure it also has the same 3 DUMS, 3 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 3 DUMS rhythm pattern, too. To be sure, recite the poem, substituting “da” for all unaccented or unstressed syllables and “DUM” for all accented or stressed syllables, as I have done above. If your poem doesn’t have a similar rhythm pattern, then you need to make some adjustments. Ideas for new limericks can come from almost anywhere. For example, your city, state, country, or name. If your name is Tim or Jim, you could write something like this: A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim There once was a fellow named Tim (A) whose dad never taught him to swim. (A) He fell off a dock (B) and sunk like a rock. (B) And that was the end of him. (A) Notice that the rhyme pattern (AABBA) and the rhythm pattern (3 DUMS, 3 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 2 DUMS, 3 DUMS) are almost identical to the rhythm and rhyme patterns in the “Man from Peru” limerick. OK, now that you know what the rhythm and rhyme patterns of a limerick are, you’re ready to write one. Here are five simple steps to writing a limerick: 1. An easy way to get started is to pick a boy’s or girl’s name that has one syllable (like Bill, Tim, Dick, Sue, or Jill). There once was a fellow (or young girl) named ____(pick an easy name with one syllable). We’ll pick “Jill.” So the first line is: “There once was a young girl named Jill.”  2. Now make a list of words that rhyme with the last word in the first line—in this case, Jill. Your list of rhyming words might include: hill, drill, pill, skill, bill, will, and ill. 3. Now write the second line using one of the rhyming words. Here’s an example: “Who freaked at the sight of a drill.” (Notice that the last words in the first two lines rhyme and that both the first and second lines contain 3 DUMS or beats.) 4. Now think of an interesting story. What could happen to someone scared of a drill? Well, you might have an interesting story if Jill had to go to the dentist. Here’s what might happen in the third and fourth lines. “She brushed every day.” “So, her dentist would say,” (Notice that “day” and “say,” the last words in the third and fourth lines, both rhyme. And notice there are 2 DUMS or beats in each line.) 5. Now you need to go back to the list of “A” rhyming words to find one that can end the poem. Here’s an example: “Your teeth are quite perfect. No bill.” Here’s the poem we just wrote: There once was a young girl named Jill. Who was scared by the sight of a drill. She brushed every day So her dentist would say, “Your teeth are so perfect; no bill.”

Below are some sites with examples of limericks:

- 

Graham Lester

- KidZone

Try writing a limerick with a partner. These poems are too fun to write alone! Here is my first attempt:

Sleepyhead Ted

by Kelly Flasha

There once was a boy named Ted,

Who refused to get out of his bed.

His mother would shout

And jump all about

But he dreamed it was all in his head!

Good luck!

Mrs. F.

April 11 - Riddle Rhymes

Read the information below from poet Charles Ghigna about writing Riddle Rhymes. 

(underdown.org)

Riddle rhymes are poems that have a riddle. The answer to the riddle is at the end of the poem. These riddle poems are created by using the ballad stanza. Here are three of my riddle rhymes.

High Flyer
I fly above the tallest trees.
I'm not a bird or plane.
I have no wings or feathered things.
I do not like the rain.
I play among the passing clouds.
I like to rise and sail.
I am a friend who loves the wind.
I'm big and have a tail.
I like the gusty month of March.
I soar way out of sight.
My shape is like a diamond.
I am a brand-new kite.

The Everlasting Light
I shine forever free.
I do not cost a cent.
I need no bulb or battery.
My light is permanent.
You'll find me way up in the sky,
When each new day's begun,
But do not look me in the eye --
I am the shining sun.

Your Highness
I am a free and open field
That's never out of bounds,
Where kites and planes and boomerangs
Can do their ups and downs.
I am the biggest yard of all,
Where birds begin their play
Of hide-n-seek among the clouds
At each new break of day.
I am the place called outer space,
Where nothing is too high.
I am the home of all the stars --
I am the endless sky.

by Charles Ghigna ("Father Goose") author of more than thirty books of poetry for children and adults, and an all-around good guy. 

Check out these rhyming dictionaries if you need help finding a rhyming word:
- http://www.rhymer.com/
- http://www.rhymezone.com/
- http://www.writeexpress.com/online2.html


Try writing your own Riddle Rhyme. Here is my first attempt:

Canadian Pastime

by Kelly Flasha

The air is cool
and smells of popcorn.
Blade meets ice
and sounds a horn.

Crack, smash, swish, roar!
Across glass they soar.
I am hockey. 

Happy Riddling,
Mrs. F.

April 10 - The Ballad Stanza

Another form of poetry is called the ballad stanza. Below is information from underdown.org about the ballad stanza. 

The ballad stanza is also one of the most popular forms of poetry for children. A ballad stanza is a group of four lines. That group is called a stanza. The ballad stanza has a rhyme at the end of line number two and line number four. Here are three poems that have ballad stanzas. The first poem has three ballad stanzas. The last two poems have two. The first two poems are from Tickle Day, the last poem is from Halloween Night.

The Bee Poem
A poem is a busy bee
Buzzing in your head.
His hive is full of hidden thoughts
Waiting to be said.

His honey comes from your ideas
That he makes into rhyme.
He flies around looking for
What goes on in your mind.

When it's time to let him out
To make some poetry,
He gathers up your secret thoughts
And then he sets them free.

A Poem Is a Little Path
A poem is a little path
That leads you through the trees.
It takes you to the cliffs and shores,
To anywhere you please.

Follow it and trust your way
With mind and heart as one,
And when the journey's over,
You'll find you've just begun.

Happy Halloween!
I'd rather be foolish than ghoulish,
I'd rather dress up as a clown;
I'd rather wear clothes with polka dot bows,
I'd much rather smile than frown.

I'd rather be kooky than spooky,
I'd rather be friendly than mean;
I'd rather go greeting than tricking and treating,
I'd rather have fun Halloween!

By Charles Ghingna

Now try writing your own ballad stanza. Your ballad can be short or long. The choice is up to you. Here is my first attempt:

Writer's Block
by Kelly Flasha

I'm sitting quietly
What will I write?
Maybe my pen and I
will get in a fight!

Happy Rhyming,
Mrs. F.

April 9 - The Rhyming Couplet: The One-Two Punch of Poetry

The Rhyming Couplet

Below are definitions and examples of couplet poems from underdown.org and Funny Poems for Free. 

Patterns of rhythm, meter and rhyme are essential ingredients in children's favorite poems. One of the most popular patterns is the couplet. Couplets have two lines that rhyme. Here are five couplets from poems in Tickle Day: Poems from Father Gooseby Charles Ghigna. (underdown.org)

from Little Daddy Longlegs
Little Daddy Longlegs played in the sun,
Climbing up the front steps just for fun.

from Turtle Trouble
Tell me if you think you know
How to make a turtle go.

from Tomorrow's My Birthday
Tomorrow's my birthday and I'll be four
And I won't have to stay home anymore.

from Nature's Shows
Nature puts on little shows
Every time it rains or snows.

from It's Snow Wonder
It's snow wonder that we cheer
Snowflakes when they fall each year.

Couplet poems, or couplet poetry, are poems comprised of two rhyming lines of verse. They can be as short as one couplet (two lines), or as long as it takes to tell the poem. While it might sound easier to write just two-line poems, this is not always the case. The shorter the poem, the more impact there must be on every word used. (Funny Poems for Free)

Check out these rhyming dictionaries if you need help finding a rhyming word:
- http://www.rhymer.com/
- http://www.rhymezone.com/
- http://www.writeexpress.com/online2.html

Go to the Giggle Poetry site to read about rhyming couplets, then try writing your own rhyming couplet to add to the poem Sick by Shel Silverstein.

Here is my first attempt:

My nose is dripping everywhere.
I think I've got snot in my hair!

You can write any kind of couplet poem you like - long or short!

Also, check out how to write a Backwards Poem like Bruce Lansky. 

Have fun,
Mrs. F.

April 8 - Haiku

"Haiku" is a traditional form of Japanese poetry.  Haiku poems consist of 3 lines.  The first and last lines of a Haiku have 5 syllables and the middle line has 7 syllables.  The lines rarely rhyme. (KidZone Poetry)

Here's a Haiku to help you remember:

     I am first with five
     Then seven in the middle --
     Five again to end.

Go to the Giggle Poetry website to find out more about writing Haiku poems. Click here for a Haiku worksheet. 

Also, follow the links below to read examples of Haiku:

- Children's Haiku Garden

- Haiku Poems by a class

- Haiku Examples

I am taking the challenge too so...

Spring

by Kelly Flasha

Waiting patiently

Sunlight warms snowy branches

Drips then freezes again

Enjoy,
Mrs. F.

P.S.

Our favourite Haiku as a class is this:

Haikus are easy
Sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator

- Author unknown

April 7 - Acrostic Poems

Let's start with an easy style of poem... the Acrostic!

Acrostic poems are simple to write. Check out the KidZone website for information on how to write an Acrostic poem. Below is an example of an acrostic poem by Kaitlyn Guenther. 

PUMPKINby Kaitlyn Guenther

	P	iles of candy
	U	nder the bed
	M	ake for a delicious snack
	P	eople
	K	now
	I	t’s been Halloween because
	N	o one is without candy

It may help to make a list or mind web of your ideas on a topic before writing your poem.  You may want to check out the online Acrostic Poem Creator. 

I am taking up the Poem a Day challenge too. Here is my attempt at a quick Acrostic poem.

The Dog Park

by Kelly Flasha

Dogs everywhere

Outside in the sun

Go, run, have fun!

Prance through the trees

And feel the cool breeze

Romp through the leaves

Keep me here forever please!

Happy Writing,

Mrs. F.