Poetry

The beauty of poetry is its' flexibility. There are no real hard and fast rules about how to construct or read poems but there are some simple ideas to bear in mind when reading or writing poetry.

Reading Poetry

Read the poem through once, paying attention to any punctuation that indicates a pause or expression in your voice (bold words or words in capital letters).
Look at any language/ vocabulary that you are not sure of. Confusing or new words can sometimes ruin the enjoyment of a poem.
Check your understanding of the poem- are there any hidden messages or ideas that need discussing so they are clearer?
Look at the rhyming patterns in the poem, especially if you wish to recreate a poem based on this one.
Work out the syllable count for each line and see if there are any patterns from line to line or verse to verse (stanza).
Have a range of poetic devices been used? MAPOS- Metaphors, Alliteration, Personification, Onomatopoeia and Similes.
Research the poet to fully understand the messages and meanings of the poem- it may help to complete the picture.

Writing Poetry

Think about your reasons for writing- have a clear purpose for your poetry so that you can put your heart and soul into it.
Are you recreating or copying the style of another poet or poem? What style of writing do they have?
Decide how long your lines are going to be, counting the syllables as you go along.
Plan to use some poetic language in your piece to bring it to life. Using MAPOS can help your audience to use their imagination and understand your poem better.
Decide whether your poem is going to rhyme or not. If you are going to rhyme, will you use rhyming couplets or some other rhyming scheme?
Use a wide range of descriptive language to help your reader to imagine scenes and characters.
Decide at the end whether you could use any subject specific vocabulary or alternatives for the words you have already used.
Read your poem aloud to yourself to see if it reads well, but more importantly, ask someone else to read it as it will be new to them.

Our Favourite Poems

The Poetry Bank

Inspirational Poems

Back To School Poetry

Highwayman- Alfred Noyes

World War Poetry