Shape and Concrete Poem Lesson
Form Poetry is Fun for Students to Read, Write and IIlustrate
Students learn about shape and concrete poems from poetry books. By writing and illustrating their own poem, students express creativity and learn poetry techniques.
Some poem types have rules to follow, while others are as whimsical and free flowing as the shape they take. Students can choose to write a concrete, diamante or acrostic poem.
Preparation for the Poetry Lesson on Shape, Form and Concrete Poems
- Collect various poetry books with concrete, shape, visual or form poems in them. Two great books to use with this lesson are A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko (Editor), Chris Rashka (Illustrator) and A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms (Ala Notable Children's Books. Middle Readers) by Paul B. Janeczko (Compiler), Chris Rashaka (Illustrator).
- Decide what poetic techniques to emphasize, if any at all. It is fun to include alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, personification and/or hyperbole in concrete, shape and form poems.
- Create a rubric. Grading poetry can be somewhat subjective, so decide on the criteria and the level of quality that students need to reach to be successful in this lesson.
- Write a few original concrete poems, illustrate them and be prepared to share them with the class. Students love to see written work by their teachers.
Example Items for a Handout on Shape Poems
Make a handout for the students. It should specify directions for writing shape, form and concrete poems. Examples should be on it as well. Here are some examples:
Concrete Poems
A concrete poem is one that takes the shape of the object it describes:
Silt
filled water
slinks quietly in
the dark to the rushing dam
Diamante Poems
A seven line poem, shaped like a diamond when centered on a page:
- line one – one word
- line two – two words (adjectives that describe line one)
- line three – three words (action verbs that connect to line one)
- line four – four words (nouns: first two words relate to line one and second two words relate to line seven)
- line five – three words (action words that connect to line seven)
- line six – two words (adjectives that describe line seven)
- line seven – one word (word that contrasts with the word in line one)
day
bright, alive
waking, working, playing
homework, video games, pillow, bed
snoring, snuggling, dreaming
dark, quiet
night
Acrostic Poems
Use the letters in a word to begin each line:
Bring the wood close to the chest
Allow time for a deep breath
Touch the ground for good luck and smack the ball
Teaching the Shape Poem Lesson
1. Share three-to-five great examples of shape, concrete, and form poems. Read them with enthusiasm to the class from the poetry books. Leave the books in a central location for students to peruse later.
2. Give students the handout on how to create shape, concrete and form poems.
3. Discuss concrete, diamante and acrostic poems with the class.
4. Before students begin to write their own poems, suggest topics. It is easier for students to write poetry about something in which they have an interest.
5. Give time for students to start a rough draft of a poem in class. Walk around and make suggestions.
6. Assign students to illustrate the final copy of the shape poem for homework.
Shape poems are fun, and students can be very creative when they write them. Have students share their poems and post them as art in the classroom.
Other relevant articles: Publishing Student Work
