You do not need to be a grown-up to write a poem. With a few describing words and a little imagination, you can make one today.
Acrostic poems
An acrostic poem spells a word down the side. Each line begins with one letter of that word. Read the first letters from top to bottom and they spell the word.
Running down the windowpane,
All the streets are shiny wet,
In the puddles children play,
Nature drinks and says thank you.
Shape poems
A shape poem is written in the shape of the thing it is about. A poem about the moon can be written in a big round circle. A poem about a tree can grow tall up the page.
Describing words and the senses
Good poems use the five senses: what you see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Instead of 'a flower', try 'a soft yellow flower that smells of honey'. Describing words make pictures in the reader's mind.
Choosing rhyming words
You do not have to rhyme, but if you want to, pick the last word first. If your line ends in 'sky', you could end the next line with 'high', 'fly' or 'by'. Say the words out loud to check they match.
How an acrostic is built
An acrostic spells a word down the side. Each line begins with the next letter of that word.
| Letter | The line |
|---|---|
| R | Running down the windowpane, |
| A | All the streets are shiny wet, |
| I | In the puddles children play, |
| N | Nature drinks and says thank you. |
Read the first letters downwards and they spell RAIN. Now try your own with a short word — your name, or something you are thankful for.
Match each letter to the line that starts with it:
- R
- Running down the windowpane
- A
- All the streets are shiny wet
- I
- In the puddles children play
- N
- Nature drinks and says thank you