58

Directions

Write a poem that has rhythm or musicality in it. You may write it in first-person point of view (I, me, my, we us, etc.) or third-person point of view (he, she, it, they, etc.). Here is a list of poem suggestions:

  • Write about a wild animal in nature like Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Eagle.”
  • Write about an accident or event like Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out–.”
  • Write a poem that has a specific beat like William Blake’s poem “The Lamb.”
  • Write a poem that uses enjambment like John Keats’ poem “Endymion.”
  • Write a poem that rhymes. However, be careful. You don’t want it sound forced or poor in quality.

You get the idea, right? Brainstorm a list of your own ideas, a variation of one of the above, or use one of the above ideas.

Show Don’t Tell

Remember to use specific nouns and strong action verbs. Remember to use your senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. Remember to include literary devices like assonance, consonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, meter, end-line stop, enjambment, caesura. Of course, poets use less words than fiction writers, too.

Line Breaks

Follow the traditional line breaks and format that most free-verse poets use. Make the line breaks where there is punctuation, an end of a phrase, or the end of a sentence unless you are deliberately using enjambment.

Final Draft Instructions

Follow these instructions for typing the final draft:

  • The poem must be typed in a Microsoft Word file (.docx).
  • It must have one-inch margins, be single-spaced, and typed in a 12 pt. readable font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.
  • Don’t allow the auto-correct in Microsoft Word to capitalize the first line of each poem. Use conventional English rules to write your lines.
  • In the upper left-hand corner of page 1, type your first and last name, the name of the class, the date the assignment is due, and the assignment name. Example:

Jane Doe
ENGL 1465–Creative Writing
Due Date
Writing Assignment: Sound Poem

  • Be sure to give your poem a title. Do not bold, enlarge, or punctuate the title. Capitalize the first word and each important word in the title.

 

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Introduction to Creative Writing by Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book