Shape Poetry-This a very artsy type of poem because you also get to draw!

Step 1: Brainstorm and then choose a topic you want to write about. If you love

your pet and want to write about your rabbit, fish or dog go for it. You can also

write about your favorite hobby, a sport, nature or a special object.

Step 2: Now, decide how your topic can best be shown as a shape. Draw or find online

an outline that matches what your topic is. So, if I decided to write about the moon,

my pet, or a flower these outlines are quite simple.

*When you write your poem it can either be the outline of the shape or it will fill the

inside of the shape which means you will need to be careful the words fit.

Step 3: Write down a list of words that describe your topic. A flower may have words like soft,

petals, and scent. You will notice that I focused on three of senses here… touch, sight, and

smell. This can be helpful to consider when you are writing.

* Literary devices are commonly used in a shape poem.

There are many types of literary devices such as rhyme.

These can really dress up a poem (see that

personification there). You don’t have to use these if

you don’t want to since shape poems are free verse.

This means no set line length, you don’t have to have

rhyming words, no specific rhythm and it is up to you

how you want to share your topic.

Step 4: Here’s the fun part. Write out your poem to

your liking and then get a new piece of paper where

your shape is. Take your time writing it to fit your

shape. If a word is too short or too long it is ok to find

another description word. Take a look at this cool

example of a whale! You can clearly see the shape of

the animal. Pretty neat

*In the photos attached for my personal example will notice I did not

originally write a long poem; however, as I wrote it out more buzz words came

to mind and I had the idea to put “cracks” on the screen to help with the visual

component. Don’t be afraid to keep altering it.