Would you like to write a poem? Here are a few poems you can try.

Write a Clerihew.

•A clerihew is a funny poem about a specific person. 
•They are four lines long. 
•They have 2 rhyming couplets: the first and second lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines rhyme with each other.
•The first line names a person, and the second line ends with something that rhymes with the name of the person.
•The third line has a new rhyme, and the fourth line rhymes with it.
•A clerihew should be funny, but not rude.

Here is an example of a Clerihew I wrote about a teacher I know.

Miss Harris

My teacher Miss Harris
would love to go to Paris,
but she can’t leave town
because she’s in lockdown.

Write a Limerick

•A limerick is a funny or unusual poem that consists of five lines. 
•Lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyme.
•Lines 3 and 4 rhyme. 
•Lines 1, 2 and 5 should have 7 to 10 syllables 
•Lines 3 and 4 are shorter and should have 5 to 7 syllables. 
•Limericks have a very distinct rhythm when you read them aloud.
•Limericks often follow this pattern:

There once was a da from dadah,   
who dada da dada da dah.    
She dada da dah    
and dada da dah.    
Da dada da dada da dah.    

If that doesn’t make sense, read this example I wrote:

The Poetry Teacher

There once was a poet from West Beach
who didn’t know which poems to teach.
She taught a strange rhyme
but thought it a crime,
then hid all her poems out of reach.

When you have written a poem

When you have written your poem, you may paste it into the comments box on the Your Poem page. I will approve it (which may take about a week), so you can look back in a week or so and see your poem on this website.

If you are a Children’s University student, you can show your poem to your School Co-ordinator for a 30 minute stamp.

© Kristin Martin 2020