A Mini Poetry Workshop!

Let's face it: poetry is hard.


But it can be fun to write, especially if you understand some of the things that make poetry so darn cool. Like imagery, alliteration, rhythm and, of course, rhyme! Once you (and your kiddos) understand more about how to use these devises in your writing, poetry can become less of a struggle, and more of an engaging challenge.

Imagery

This is simply what you see put into words. When done well, imagery will transport a reader from one place to another, if only in their mind. It is what gives a poem, or any other piece of writing, a sense of place, and can greatly affect the mood.

Example:

Before me the grasses bend

in rhythm with the breeze,
and a cottonwood’s leaves shimmer and dance in the sunlight

Alliteration

Alliteration is a series of words that begin with the same sound, as is often done on tongue twisters. Using alliteration in poetry adds a layer of interest to the way a poem sounds when read aloud.

Example: 

His blood is black and boiling hot.
He gurgles ghastly groans. 

(from "The Troll" by Jack Prelutsky)

Rhythm

All language has a natural rhythm. In poetry, especially rhyming poetry, the rhythm is often a predictable pattern of stressed and unstressed beats, like in a song. This rhythm is usually referred to as meter.

Example:

Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are

These lines have a predictable patter of stressed and unstressed beats. The pattern is simple; every other syllable in each line is stressed. The trick to meter is working the right words into the poem in such a way that the words' natural rhythms will fit into the meter. You can see in the example below how I have fit other words into the same pattern:

Blizzard, blizzard, watch it blow
Whirling, swirling, ice and snow

Rhyme

This one is fairly straight-forward. It is good for budding poets to learn the difference between true rhyme (cat/fat) and near rhyme (rain/again).rhyme can be one of the trickiest parts of writing poetry because of the challenge it can be to find a word that 1) fits the meter, 2) makes sense with the rest of the poem, and 3) rhymes perfectly. A good rhyming dictionary, like the online one at rhymezone.com is a handy tool.


Now, you try it!

1. Have your kids practice imagery by writing descriptive phrases of things they see around them.

2. Practice making up goofy alliterative phrases.

3. Try working on rhythm by writing new words for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Say the words aloud to hear how they fit in the meter.

4. Make lists of rhyming words.

5. Now you are ready to try writing your own poem!

Word Clouds

Have you ever head of Wordle.net's word cloud generator?

Here is an example of a Wordle word cloud that I made for my daughter:

These word clouds are fun gift or note card ideas (Christmas, birthdays, etc.). They can be framed and hung on the wall or pasted into a scrap book. And best of all, they are a fun way to trick your child into doing some writing.

The word cloud generator uses your text to create a pleasant looking jumble of words that can be tweaked until you are happy with it. All you need is a list of words! Once your child sees these fun, colorful word clouds, he will be itching to try it. So have him sit down and write a list of words that describe himself (this is great brainstorming practice for future writing projects, by the way). Then go to Wordle.net and have a blast!

Some tips to get the best experience from Wordle:

• If you want a word to appear larger, input that word several times. The more times a word appears in your list, the bigger it will be in the word cloud.
• To use a phrase, place a ~ between the two words in your list so that the generator will know not to separate them (like in "Spelling Bee Champ" in the sample).
• Don't have a color printer? Wordle word clouds are just as awesome in black and white. And you could always have your child color them once they are printed.
• Go beyond having your child write about himself. Create them for other people, pets, holidays, favorite places, etc.

Have fun with your word clouds!

Let's do some Creative Writing!

If you were in a classroom right now, you'd hear a collective groan.... in stereo surround sound.

It's not as hard as they (or you) think!

How about some stimulating activities to help open those jammed floodgates of inspiration?

With your littles, creative "writing" couldn't be simpler. They are natural storytellers. How fast can you write? Sit down next to a child who's coloring something indistinguishable to you, and ask what's happening in his picture. Get your pen handy, because he knows. After you've written his story out, congratulate him on having written a book, encourage another illustration or two, and make an afternoon of publishing it using your printer for his dictated words, his picture(s), and some cardboard and interesting paper or fabric for a cover. Even brown paper with an illustrated cover turns out adorable :)

Other ideas:

• Alternate endings 

Pick out a storybook that the kidlets have never seen before, and read just over half of the story to them. Close it and ask them what happens next. Ask some leading questions to draw them out if necessary.

• A patchwork story

Set a timer. Mom or Dad makes up the beginning of a story and talks for 30 - 60 seconds. When the timer beeps (or dings, if it's a little more old-school!) it's another family member's turn to pick up wherever the story left off. When it comes to your turn again, make sure to throw in some challenge for the main character or an interesting twist and keep them engaged!

• Narrate nature

Sit in your driveway with your child and watch the ants, or the sparrow, or a rabbit, or even the neighbor's pot-bellied pig. Where do you think he's going in such a hurry? What do you suppose his name is? What are they saying to each other right now?

• Read to them! All of them! Even big kids like to be read to. Give your kiddos a feel for plots and settings, development of characters, problem-solving and climax, happy endings, and an all-around good story.  Google "100 best kids books" if you're stuck for a reading list (but don't dismiss the classics you liked when YOU were a kid.)