In this section, we will look at the art of writing poetry

Poetry is good for the soul. I don't know who said this first, but it's true. What is poetry? How would you define poetry?

Some poems are highly structured and follow strict rules of length, metre, and rhyme. Take a look at this:

William Shakespeare - Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
 
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
 
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
 
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Read the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnet_18 

Find out the meaning of the words: Sonnet; Quatrain; Couplet; Iambic Pentameter; 

Poetry for Younger Readers

However, poetry for younger readers can be in a much freer form. Look at the examples in this website:


Choose one of the styles from the website and write your own poem!

Mr. Crouch's Poetry

I am writing a collection of poetry on the theme of childhood - growing up - becoming an adult.

Read this poem: http://www.stuartcrouch.net/seventeen-bags-of-sugar.html

What do you think? Be prepared to talk about your reaction to this poem. Thank you!