“Who I Am” Poem
After reading the poem by our first American poet Ted Kooser, we will model the poet’s style, create a
poem of our own, and publish them in the classroom.
Poet Information:
 Ted Kooser is a two-time Poet Laureate (2004-2006) who grew up in Nebraska.
Abandoned Farmhouse
Ted Kooser
He was a big man, says the size of his shoes
on a pile of broken dishes by the house;
a tall man too, says the length of the bed
in an upstairs room; and a good, God-fearing man,
says the Bible with a broken back
on the floor below the window, dusty with the sun;
but not a man for framing, say the fields
cluttered with boulders and the leaky barn.
A woman lived with him, says the bedroom wall
papered with lilacs and the kitchen shelves
covered with oilcloth, and they had a child,
says the sandbox made from a tractor tire.
Money was scarce, say the jars of plum preserves
and canned tomatoes sealed in the cellar hole.
And the winters cold, say the rags in the window frames.
It was lonely here, says the narrow country road.
Something went wrong, says the empty house
in the weed-choked yard. Stones in the fields
say he was not a farmer; the still-sealed jars
in the cellar say she left in a nervous haste.
And the child? Its toys are strewn in the yard
Like branches after a storm—a rubber cow,
A rusty tractor with a broken plow,
A doll in overalls. Something went wrong, they say.
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Poem Directions:
1. Look at each stanza of the poem and notice that is had a very distinct style. The qualities of the people
who live in the house are revealed through items/objects that surround them.
2. Now it is your turn to model this author’s style. Fill in the brainstorm below to help you in the writing
process.
3. Your poem will be three stanzas and each stanza will have eight lines or more.
4. Using your brainstorm, form your ideas into complete sentences to create your final poem. Type your
poem and please print two copies. One to decorate and publish in the room and one to turn in to be
graded. Please remember to put your name on both copies.
5. Your poem is due ____________________
Brainstorm:
Stanza 1:
 Think of four important qualities about yourself. Ex: smart, athletic, like to read, hard worker. List
them below.
 Now, for each quality above, list the object/item that best reveals/reflects that quality. Ex: textbook,
running shoes, books, clean yard
Stanza 2:
 Repeat the above process, but instead of four qualities, list four facts about your life in general. Ex:
you have 3 pets, you have 1 sibling, family likes to travel, your family goes to church. List them below.
 Now, for each general fact above, list the object/item/person that best reveals/reflects/proves that
fact. Ex: best friend Abby, dog named Hunter, little brother Jacob, travel books around house.
Stanza 3:
 Repeat the above process, but instead of facts about your life, list 4 facts about your
community/surroundings. Ex: my home is my haven, my neighborhood is filled with nice people, my
house is in the country, my school cares about tradition.
 Now, for each community fact above, list the object/item/person that best reveals/reflects that fact.
Ex: welcoming decorations, pool filled with happy kids, rolling acres, homecoming parade.
Now take all of the ideas from each stanza and, following the model poem, create your final draft.