Middle School Love Poem Lesson
Students Write to Express Feelings and Learn Poetry Techniques
Jan 18, 2008
Right before Valentine’s Day, share with students how they can express love to family members, friends or someone special in their lives. Or, students can write poems that show emotion any time during the year.
It is all about emotion. Love poems can follow any format, unless the teacher specifies. For elementary and middle school students, teachers could request that students write shape poems, syllable count poems and/or rhyming poems. For the advanced writers, they can write sonnets, octets, quintets, ballads, etc. Or, students can write free verse poetry.
Organizing Lesson for Writing Love Poems
- Gather poetry books that focus on love to share with the students. A great website for classic love poems is 100 Greatest Love Poems Ever Written
- Ask students to bring in their favorite love song lyrics. Remind students that song lyrics are poetry. Then, make a packet of school appropriate lyrics to share with classes. Also, ask students to bring in CDs of their favorite love songs to play when the students write the poems in class.
- Create a rubric. Grading poetry can be somewhat subjective. It is best to decide on the criteria and the level of quality for the poems before students begin writing.
- Design handouts for the students that explain the love poem assignment. To tie this lesson in with standards, discuss poetry techniques.
Example of Concrete or Shape Poems
- Have students write a love poem in the shape of a heart.
- Make heart outlines and have students write everything that love means to them in the heart.
Write a limerick or a rhyme scheme poem
Example poem A Lovely Look: AA BB
A Lovely Look
A lovely look in the hall A
Turn, giggle, and wish he were tall A
Write a note, fold it just so B
Send a friend and wait for a hello B
Example of Syllable Count Poetry
Tanka -- a five-line poem
Example of Tanka – Love Drifts Slowly
Love drifts slowly by (5 syllables)
I want to catch the feeling (7 syllables)
Bring it close to me (5 syllables)
I clutch it and don’t let go (7 syllables)
Warmth shooting to every vein (7 syllables)
Teaching the Love Poems and Nothing But Love Poems
1. Pick three-to-five classic love poems to read to the class. Have love songs playing in the background. Then, pass out the packet of love poem lyrics to the students. Ask the students to share their favorite ones. Place the books on a chalk tray or table for students to use as model poems.
2. Give students the handout on love poems.
3. Keep playing the love songs in the background as students write their poetry. Some students will feel somewhat silly writing love poetry. Students can write about their love for their parents, siblings, relatives, friends, pets, or a special someone.
4. Give students time to start a rough draft of the love poem in class.
5. Assign students to write a final copy of the love poem for homework. Students should illustrate it too. Decorations make the poem more interesting.
6. Make a bulletin board and post every single poem on Valentine’s Day or any time when a little shot of love is needed in the classroom. Title the bulletin board "Love Poems and Nothing But Love Poems."
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