Write an Anagrams!
An anagram is a word or phrase formed by reordering the letters of another word or phrase:
Clint Eastwood is an anagram of Old West Action
Write an Acrostic
Use the first letter of your name to begin each line. Each line should be an adjective or
a phrase which describes you.
An example by Mark:
Marvelous
Awesome hockey player
Really doesnt like The Spice Girls
Kit-kat fan
Write a Persona Poem
This is a structured 8-line biographical poem.
Sample Poem by Kate:
Kate.....
tall, funny, happy, smart
sister of drooly baby Danny
who loves music, books and Skittles
who is afraid of rollercoasters, spiders and heights
who wants to see Latin America, summer, and the end of poverty
resident of the little blue house
.....Kate
Here is the structure of a Persona-Poem
Line 1: first name/nickname of the person in the poem (Kate)
Line 2: 4 adjectives describing the person (tall, funny, happy, smart)
Line 3: X of Y formula, describing an important relationship to the
person
(sister of drooly baby Danny)
Line 4: 3 things s/he loves (who loves music, books and Skittles)
Line 5: 3 things that scare her/him (who is afraid of rollercoasters)
Line 6: 3 things s/he wants to see (Latin America, summer, and the end
of poverty)
Line 7: resident of...+ place/time/concept (resident of the little blue
house)
Line 8: first name/nickname of the person in the poem (Kate)
Write an Haiku: The kind of poem called
haiku began in Japan.
Try to use 17 English syllables in three short lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables (You can
cheat on the syllable count a little...)
The pauses after each line imitate the natural pauses a Japanese person
uses after each phrase of 5 or 7 syllables.
Write a Limerick!
A limerick is a humorous five line poem. The first, second and fifth lines rhyme. Each of
these lines has three pronounced beats. The shorter third and fourth lines rhyme with each
other and have two pronounced beats. The fifth line often has a surprise ending.
Here is an example of a limerick by Edward Lear:
There was a Young Lady whose chin
Resembled the point of a pin:
So she had it made sharp,
And purchased a harp,
And played several tunes with her chin.
Write a limerick!
To write a limerick:
1. Write 5-6 places you have lived or visited--cities, provinces/states,
countries, addresses etc.
2. Next pick the 2 places that are easiest to rhyme (this may take some
experimenting and more than one try).
Example: Beijing: bring, fling, king, Ming, opening, ring, sing,
sling,
3.Now, using one or both of the templates below, write a limerick by
filling in the blanks with your own rhyming words. Use the
past tense.
Example - A:
There once was a ______________ from __________________.
All the while s/he hoped _______________________________.
So s/he _______________________________.
And _________________________________.
That ___________________ from ___________________.
Example - B:
I once met a _________________ from ___________________.
Every day s/he _______________________________________.
But whenever s/he ______________________.
The _________________________________.
That strange ___________________ from ___________________.
Write a Picture-Headline Poem!
1. Use newspapers, magazines, or other sources (like the internet) and
find pictures which are
unusual or which somehow interest you.
2. Collect ten to fifteen pictures and the headlines which go with them.
3. Arrange the headlines in any order that makes sense or states a
message. You may use all of
the headlines you have selected, or
get rid of some. You may also
search for others to add.
4. Arrange the pictures in a collage.
5. Write your headlines out in the order you have decided on. Add
punctuation to the end of the
line as you think appropriate,
e.g. periods,
commas, semi-colons.
6.Write your poem and collage.