Poetry Programs
Poetry Slams traditionally have been competitions of original poetry and performance. Begun in
the 1980s in Chicago, slams provide an opportunity for poets to present original poetry or, in some
cases, the works of others. A panel of judges awards a score, usually ranging from 0-10.
Poetry is a great tool for library programming; participants can read, write, and listen to poetry.
Some children may not have much exposure to poetry and may be apprehensive about presenting
their own verses aloud to a group.
Cultivating Poets @ your library®
Below is a list of activities that one can use to introduce poetry to children in the library. Planning
several activities leading up to a performance will give young participants the opportunity to
become familiar with different forms of poetry and prepare them for performances of their own
work.
Read aloud (or recite from memory) a few poems that are sure to get the audience excited. Shel
Silverstein is always popular for grabbing children’s attention.
Present different ways of writing poetry. Creating a poster or large flash-card style definitions with
brief examples is one way to demonstrate the different forms poetry can take. (See below for
definitions of various poetry forms.)
Share several different poems and ask the audience to identify the type of poem. Share directly from
a book or create a poster-sized version that is easy for an audience to view.
Provide participants with activities to help them create original poems:
For concrete poems, provide pre-cut shapes to inspire the writers.
For acrostic poems, select several words and place in a hat, have participants select one or two
words from the hat to use in creating an acrostic poem.
For limericks, create several beginning lines and place in a hat; have participants select one or
two lines to provide a starting point for a limerick.
For sensory poems, select several abstract subjects (i.e. love, fear, anger) and place in a hat;
have participants select one or two subjects and write what it tastes like, looks like, smells like,
feels like, and sounds like.
For participants who find the above exercises too taxing, use a fill-in-the-blank poem (See
Alligator Poem below.) Writers will come up with their own rhymes.
Invite participants to try out any and all of the types of poems introduced earlier. If able, keep the
definitions and examples on a board or poster for the kids to consult throughout the program.
Invite participants to read poems aloud to the group.
For those who feel frustrated trying to write original poems, have them look through books of
poetry for something they would like to read aloud, either solo or in pairs or groups.
The Prep Work/Things to Consider
Select poetry books to read aloud or and/or for participants to browse. These can also be displayed
for patrons to check out at the conclusion of the program; great for collection promotion!
For several of the activities suggested above, you’ll need to prepare shapes (using die cuts or other
patterns). Also, print out various words and phrases for inspiration.
Provide paper and pencils for participants.
Prepare examples of the different forms of poetry with which you chose to work. This can be done
as a poster, flash card definitions, or demonstrations directly from a book.
For performances of participant work, choose an area that allows the poet to stand prominently
before the audience; a small stage or at a podium work great. A microphone, if available, also adds
a nice touch.
Depending on how in-depth you want to get with a poetry program, you may consider working with
schools, community centers, home school organizations, or other community partners to promote a
month-long celebration of poetry, culminating with a performance at the library.
Get Creative and Have Fun!
No need for children (or adults!) to be intimidated by poetry. It can be a lot of fun. Start with a few
simple activities like those described above and, before you know it, you just may create a culture
of poetry @ your library®!
Poetry Forms
Concrete poems – A poem that takes on the shape of its subject; the letters, words, or symbols are
arranged on the page into a picture.
Acrostics – Using a single word spelled out vertically, each letter is used to form a word or phrase.
This type of poem does not need to rhyme.
Couplets – A pair of lines that rhyme; multiple pairs can be used, each pair having a different
rhyming sound.
Limericks – Five-line verses, usually containing humor, and a specific rhyme pattern: lines 1, 2 and
5 rhyme with each other, while lines 3 and 4 rhyme together in a different sound.
Haiku – A form of poetry from the Japanese culture, consisting of three lines of poetry in which the
first and third lines have 5 syllables and the second line has 7 syllables. Often the subjects of haiku
are nature or seasons.
Sensory – Using the five senses, the poet takes a concept such as love, fear, or anger and expresses
how it feels, looks, smells, tastes, and sounds.
Free Verse – Still recognized as poetry, the form uses no specific pattern of rhyme or meter.
Fill-in-the-blank and “poemstarts” – “Reluctant” poets can create original poems just by filling in a
few words with a little help from sample verses, as in the Alligator Poem below. For more
information on “poemstarts,” check out Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme by Jack Prelutsky.
Alligator Poem
Alligator pie, alligator pie,
If I don't get some I think I'm gonna die.
Give away the green grass, give away the sky,
But don't give away my alligator pie.
Alligator stew, alligator stew,
If I don't get some I don't know what I'll do.
Give away my furry hat, give away my shoe,
But don't give away my alligator stew.
Alligator soup, alligator soup,
If I don't get some I think I'm gonna droop.
Give away my hockey stick, give away my hoop,
But don't give away my alligator soup.
Create your own verses:
Alligator ___________, Alligator __________,
If I don’t get some, ________________!
Give away my ___________,
Give away my ___________,
But don’t give away my _____________!
Bibliography
Below is a sampling of poetry books for children with examples of the different forms of poetry
discussed above.
Angelou, Maya. Life Doesn’t Frighten Me. Illus. by Jean-Michel Basquiat. New York: Stewart,
Tabori & Chang, 1993.
Presents Maya Angelou's poem illustrated by the paintings and drawings of Jean-Michel
Basquiat. Features biographies of both the author and artist.
Cleary, Brian P. Rainbow Soup: adventures in poetry. Illus. by Neal Layton. Minneapolis, Minn.:
Carolrhoda Books, 2004.
An introduction to poetry that uses humorous poems, illustrations, and annotations to clarify
terms and explain different types of poems, such as macaronic verse, concrete poems, and
limericks.
Fleischman, Paul. Joyful Noise: poems for two voices. Illus. by Eric Beddows. New York: Harper
& Row, 1988.
A collection of poems describing the characteristics and activities of a variety of insects.
Greenfield, Eloise. In the Land of Words: new and selected poems. Illus. by Jan Spivey Gilchrist.
New York: HarperCollins, 2004.
Presents a collection of twenty-one poems about words, creativity, and imagination.
Holbrook, Sara. Wham! It’s a Poetry Jam: discovering performance poetry. Honesdale, Pa.: Boyds
Mills Press, 2002.
A guide to performing poetry alone and in groups, includes guidelines to set up poetry
performance contests.
Janeczko, Paul B., ed. A Poke in the I: a collection of concrete poems. Illus. by Chris Raschka.
Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2001.
This volume of 30 concrete poems from visual poets such as John Hollander, Emmett Williams,
Maureen W. Armour, and others provides a playful, visually accessible collection that is
illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Chris Raschka. An ideal book for National Poetry Month in
April.
Katz, Bobbi. A Rumpus of Rhymes: a book of noisy poems. Illus. by Susan Estelle Kwas. New
York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2001.
Here's a book bursting with verses that sputter, shout, chatter and beg to be read aloud--really
loud! Full-color illustrations.
Krensky, Stephen. There Once Was a Very Odd School and other lunch-box limericks. Illus. by
Tamara Petrosino. New York: Dutton Children’s Books, 2004.
More than twenty limericks paint a humorous picture of life in elementary school.
Mora, Pat. Confetti: poems for children. Illus. by Enrique O. Sanchez. New York: Lee & Low
Books, 1996.
Poems celebrating the beauty of the Southwest as experienced by a Mexican American girl who
lives there.
Noda, Takayo. Dear World. Illus. by the author. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2003.
In this luminous book, told as a child's poetic notes to the earth and its inhabitants, and
illustrated with exquisite cut-paper collages, Noda inspires readers to observe each detail of the
world with imagination and joy. Full color.
Prelutsky, Jack. It’s Raining Pigs and Noodles. Illus. by James Stevenson. New York: Greenwillow
Books, 2000.
A collection of humorous poems such as "The Dancing Hippopotami," "You Can't Make Me
Eat That," "My Father's Name is Sasquatch," and "Dear Wumbledeedumble."
____. Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme. Illus. by Meilo So. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005.
Segmented into ten subjects, a collection of "poemstarts" provides amusing beginnings to a
series of poems and challenges readers to complete the tale in their own special way, enhanced
with large text and bold illustrations.
Roemer, Heidi B. Come to My Party and other shape poems. Illus. by Hideko Takahashi. New
York: Holt, 2004.
Poems that celebrate favorite things from different seasons of the year, each shaped like the
subject at hand.
Silverstein, Shel. Falling Up. Illus. by the author. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.
A collection of humorous poems and drawings.
____. Where the Sidewalk Ends. Illus. by the author. New York: Harper & Row, 1974.
A collection of humorous poetry illustrated with the author's own drawings.
Sklansky, Amy E. From the Doghouse: poems to chew on. Illus. by Karla Firehammer, Karen
Dismukes, Sandy Koeser, and Cathy McQuitty. New York: Henry Holt, 2002.
A collection of dog poems, illustrated with beaded art.
Visit www.ala.org/kids for free promotion tips, downloadable art, and other tools and activities to
help promote the library to kids and their families!