Students learn how to create poetry without strict rules. By writing and illustrating a free verse poem, students will create their own original poetry.

Encyclopedia Wikipedia describes free verse poetry as one type of poetry that does not use strict meter or rhyme; however, it still looks like poetry because there are complex patterns. Free verse poetry has a long history and was used in the Bible.

"Free verse offers a writer an amazing palette: metaphor, simile, dramatic verbs, assonance, consonance, even perhaps a touch of rhyme slipped into the lines," said Kristine O'Connell George, award winning poet and author.

Preparation for Teaching the Poetry Lesson on Free Verse Poems

Collect poetry books to share with the students that showcase free verse poems.

• A great book to use with this lesson is Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems [Clarion Books, 2002] by Kristine O'Connell George. George’s website includes additional teacher’s guides for use with this book.
• Middle school student may also enjoy Poetry for Young People: Carl Sandburg [Sterling, 1995]. This includes his famous poem "Fog."

Teach students poetry techniques such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole, similes, and/or metaphor in the free verse poetry lesson.

Make a rubric to grade the poems. It is best to decide on the criteria and the level of quality the students need to reach to be successful in this lesson.

Design handouts for the students that explain free verse poetry and give directions for writing poems with examples on it.

Example Items to Use for Free Verse Poem Handout

Free verse poetry should not read or sound like prose. It should have patterns, stanzas and imagery.

Activity: Find an example of alliteration, assonance, and simile in Sunday Night Meltdown.

Example of free verse poem

Sunday Night Meltdown

by Kristine O'Connell George

Suddenly remembering

(on Sunday night)

that I have homework

due Monday morning.

The end of my weekend,

like the end of a Popsicle:

instead of one last lick --

a taste of stick.

Printed with permission from Kristine O'Connell George; Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems, [Clarion Books, 2002]; Copyright 2002. All rights reserved.

Assignment: Write an original free verse poem and illustrate it.

Teaching the Free Verse Poem Lesson

1. Read three-to-five great examples of free verse poems with enthusiasm to the class. Point out the poetry techniques used in the poems. Place the books on a chalk tray or table for students to use as model poems.

2. Discuss how free verse is different from other types of poetry that employ strict rules, such as an acrostic, haiku or limerick.

• Writing free verse does not give students license to throw away all that they know about poetry. Students who understand the rules for other types of poetry will appreciate having more freedom when writing free verse poetry. However, they still should employ poetic techniques in their original free verse poem.

3. Give students the handout on free verse poems. It may be easier for students to try to imitate an author from a model book in the room when they begin writing their original poem. Make sure that students give credit to the author by writing, “inspired by…” or “written to emulate…”

4. Allow time for students to start a rough draft of the free verse poem in class.

5. Assign students to write a final copy of the free verse poem for homework. Students should illustrate it too.

Poetry is meant to be read aloud. Direct students to share finished pieces with the class. Hopefully, students will be able to get beyond the rhyming poem and will be able to use wonderful imagery and poetic techniques in their free verse poems.