A Poem to Give Away
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A Poem to Give Away

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🎨 Your Challenge, Should You Choose to Accept it ...

The New Year is very close. What hopes do you have for the people you care about in your life?

Can you put your hope into the form of a poem?

This challenge spans two weeks, and we encourage you to write a few poems, even five or ten. Poems can be short and sweet, but they are always meaningful.

Once you've written your poem (or poems), give them away! Give them as gifts, leave them in pockets as surprises, or use them inside a handmade card.

Here are a few poetic forms you can try, in case you want a jump start.

Haiku

  1. In a haiku, there are three lines.
  2. The first line has five syllables.
  3. The second line has seven syllables.
  4. The third line has five syllables.

Shape Poem

  1. In a shape poem, the words are written in a shape that fits with the theme or topic of the poem.
  2. Choose a possible shape for your poem, such as an umbrella or a firework.
  3. Brainstorm concepts for your poem.
  4. First, draft your poem without worrying about the shape.
  5. Next, experiment to fit your words into the shape. Revise as you go for both meaning and to make the words fit better. Do this in pencil, just as a rough draft. Remember to stay relaxed and have fun.
  6. Once you've worked out how to make your words and shape fit together, create your final draft.

Alphabet Poem

  1. If you'd like some inspiration, check out
    Author Interview: Lisa Frenkel Riddiough
    where we talked about ways to write an alphabet book.
  2. While your poem isn't a book, it could be! Use a word starting with each letter of the alphabet to create a 26-line poem.
  3. If you need to get creative, remember you can break the rules. (For instance, with X!) You're the writer, after all.