Shape Poems
What if a poem about a snake looked like a slithery, wiggly line instead of straight rows of words? That is exactly what a shape poem does! A shape poem is a poem where the words are arranged on the page to make the shape of the thing the poem is about. A poem about rain might fall down the page in drips. A poem about a cat might curl into a circle like a sleeping cat.
What You'll Learn
- What makes a poem a 'shape poem' - How to pick a shape that matches your topic - How to write short, describing words and phrases (not just full boring sentences) - How to arrange your words into your very own shape poem
Step 1: Pick Something With a Clear Shape
The best shape poems are about things that have an easy shape to draw, like a star, a heart, an ice cream cone, a tree, a fish, or a balloon. Pick something you can picture clearly in your head before you start writing.
Step 2: Think of Words, Not Just Sentences
Shape poems work best with short, juicy words and phrases -- words that show color, sound, feeling, or movement. For a poem shaped like a balloon, you might use words like 'floating,' 'red,' 'stretchy,' 'up up up,' and 'pop!' You do not need full sentences with periods -- single words and short phrases are perfect.
Step 3: Draw Your Shape Lightly First
Before you write your final poem, draw a light pencil outline of your shape on the page. Then write your words along the lines of that outline, following the curve or the point of the shape. When you are done, you can erase the pencil outline, and your words alone will make the shape appear!
Shape poems have been around for a very long time! A poet named George Herbert wrote a famous shape poem called 'Easter Wings' all the way back in 1633, shaped like two pairs of wings.
Shape poems are sometimes called 'concrete poems' or 'calligrams,' because the shape of the words is just as important as their meaning.
Match each poem topic to a good shape word choice.
Terms
Definitions
Drag terms onto their definitions, or click a term then click a definition to match.
What makes a poem a 'shape poem'?
Which is the best first step before writing your final shape poem?
Write Your Own Shape Poem
Choose one object (a star, a fish, a tree, an ice cream cone, or your own idea). Lightly pencil-draw its outline on a blank page. Then write 8-15 descriptive words or short phrases about that object along the outline's lines. Erase the pencil outline when finished so only your words remain, forming the shape.
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