The "Art" of Poetry

Select an grade level appropriate poetry style and have students write a poem or riddle that explains what the work is about.

Some poem styles to choose from might be…

Acrostic:

                Use the name in the artwork or artist to tell the reader more about it / him or her.

                Ex.  based on Georgia O’Keefe

                                Girl painting in the desert

                                Enlarged and Exaggerated

                                Opening of a flower

                                Ripe

                                Gross bones no more

                                In full bloom

                                Abstracts of nature

Alphabet:

Write a word or statement, or descriptor, for each letter of the alphabet, based on a work of art. 

*This could make a great art making lesson where each letter is translated into a page of an alphabet book based on the artist or artwork.

EX. based on Roy Lichtenstein’s "Mermaid"

Photo taken by Michele Comp: Storm King, 2014

                A shore it sits

                Boat out of water

                Colors glistening

                Dancing on the water

                Eager to swim away …

Cinquain:

Looking at a work of art or a body of work describe and interpret it using the five line cinquain poem format…

Title (noun) - 1 word 
Description - 2 words 
Action - 3 words 
Feeling (phrase) - 4 words 
Title (synonym for the title) - 1 word

Ex. based on the sweet treats of Wayne Thiebaud

Bakery

Sweet Delicious

Timing Tempting Tasting

Melts in your mouth

Cakes

Senses:

Looking at a work of art or a body of work describe and interpret it though the 5 senses describing what it looks like, feels like, sounds like, smells like, and tastes like.

Ex. Based on Rene Magrittes “The Postcard”

                The Postcard looks like a gloomy shadow cast over a dull mountain landscape

                The Postcard feels like clammy hands in my pockets

                The Postcard sounds like an eerily still day only hearing the ringing of my own ears

                The Postcard smells like sweet like apple

                The Postcard tastes like the dry inside of my mouth

Explorer Poems:

Inspired by “In 1492…” students will write their own poems using rhyming to explore a work of art.

Ex. Based on Hanri Matisse's "Harmony in Red"

In 1908 a woman did not stay up late

early to bed early to rise,  setting the table each fruit by size

Trees of white, chair in the light

Prepared in advance, so that she might be able to dance.

Photo compliments of: http://www.wikiart.org/en/henri-matisse/harmony-in-red-1908

Shape Poems:

Looking at a work of art describe and interpret it though  a simple shape. For example if looking at Munch’s “The Scream” one might write around the head, hands, and body describing the emotion, feeling, and meaning of the painting.

These poem forms and more, fit for elementary students can be found at Poetry for Kids: http://www.kathimitchell.com/poemtypes.html