Welcome to your next stop, the Isle of Style, poetry explorers! In the Isle of Style we will learn about different poetry styles and forms, such as a haiku or acrostic, before we travel on. Later in our journey you will be able to have a go at writing poems in the styles you’ll learn about here!
Acrostics
An acrostic is a poem that is written around a word or words. You write the word(s) down the page, one letter per line. There are 3 levels of acrostic writing – easy, medium and hard. Here is an example of each:
An easy acrostic is short and uses one word per line. The words may make a sentence or just be a list. If you have never written an acrostic before it’s a good way to start.
S ighing. A ngry. D arkness.
A medium acrostic will use a sentence per line to describe the word chosen to base the acrostic on.
L ovely Leah is 7. E ats burgers with tomato sauce. A ll I do is laugh and laugh. H elps my mum at home.
S miles a lot. M y favourite colour is purple. I have a pet dog called Bruno. T he best thing on TV is the X Factor. H anging out with my best friend Lilly is fun.
A hard acrostic will have sentences that flow over to the next line.
P haraohs are buried in the Y ellow sand triangles. There are lots of R ooms in the pyramids A nd they have traps in to keep explorers out. The M uddy banks of the Nile is where the Egyptians get water from. I nside the dark pyramids D ead mummies are wrapped in bandages, hidden underground forever, S afely looked after by the god Anubis.
Cinquains
The cinquain (pronounced sing-cane) is inspired by the Japanese poetic forms Haiku and Tanka and was invented by the American poet Adelaide Crapsey.
The cinquain has a strict pattern to follow; it has 5 lines each with a set number of syllables. Line one has 2 syllables, line 2 has 4 syllables, line 3 has 6 syllables, line 4 has 8 syllables and line 5 has 2 syllables. Here is an example:
Writing
A cinquain is
Not that easy, in fact
It’s quite hard but when it’s done shout
‘Yippee!'
Once you have mastered the basic cinquain you can try a Reverse Cinquain, a Mirror Cinquain or a Butterfly Cinquain.
A Reverse Cinquain has 5 lines with line 1 made up of 2 syllables, line 2 has 8 syllables, line 3 has 6 syllables, line 4 has 4 syllables and line 5 has 2 syllables.
A Mirror Cinquain is a basic cinquain followed by a Reverse Cinquain.
A Butterfly Cinquain has 9 lines with line 1 made up of 2 syllables, line 2 has 4 syllables, line 3 has 6 syllables, line 4 has 8 syllables, line 5 has 2 syllables, line 6 has 8 syllables, line 7 has 6 syllables, line 8 has 4 syllables and line 9 has 2 syllables.
Clerihews
A clerihew is a four-lined poem and was invented by Edmund Clerihew Bentley. It has a rhyming pattern of AABB – meaning lines 1 and 2 and lines 3 and 4 rhyme. Lines 3 and 4 are usually purposely longer than lines 1 and 2. Line 1 usually names the person your Clerihew is based on. The poems aren’t abusive but are humourous and normally written about famous people.
Henry the VIII was a greedy chap
Dressed in velvet robes and caps
He married 6 times before he found the perfect wife
They were wed for nearly 4 years before the end of his life.
Diamante
A diamante is a seven-lined poem in the shape of a diamond that describes 2 contrasting / opposite themes. It follows a strict pattern:
Line 1 is one word (either a subject or a noun) that is contrasting to line 7.
Line 2 is made up of 2 adjectives that describe the word on line 1.
Line 3 is made up of 3 action verbs that describe the word on line 1.
Line 4 is made up of 4 nouns, 2 which relate to the word on line 1 and the other 2 which relate to the word on line 7.
Line 5 is made up of 3 action verbs that describe the word on line 7.
Line 6 is made up of 2 adjectives that describe the word on line 7.
Line 7 is one word (either a subject or a noun) that is contrasting to line 1.
Free verse has no structure or rhyme pattern to it. It’s a poem about the subject matter of your choice and usually has several poetic techniques featured within it.
Here is an example:
The wind swept down the darkened alleyway
Shoving the leaves and litter from their resting places
While a lonely tin can clattered behind, bulky and battered
Then the rain began to pour
Beating on windows, creating instant puddles
Dancing in an angry twirl with the wind.
Haiku
A haiku is a Japanese form made up of 17 syllables in a strict 3-line pattern of 5, 7, 5. Traditionally the haiku was written about the seasons, but these days they are written about various subjects.
Here is an example:
This is my haiku
It’s not about the seasons
It’s about haiku!
Kennings
A Kennings is a poem usually made up of lots of 2-word descriptions (a line in the poem is referred to as a ‘Kenning’) and it describes the subject without actually saying what it is. The title is the subject, but these words are not mentioned in the poem itself. Kennings can rhyme, but don’t have to. Here is an example of both a rhyming and non-rhyming Kennings:
A limerick is a humourous 5-lined poem with lines 1, 2 and 5 rhyming with each other. Lines 3 and 4 also rhyme with each other.
Here is an example:
There was a young man called Joe
Into the Aussie jungle he did go
In the bush tucker trials he did well
Ate horrid bugs and endured sheer hell
And crowned jungle king as he won the show!
Magic Box Poems
Magic Box poems are based on the original poem of the same title by the poet Kit Wright. They are very popular in primary schools and only require your imagination! The format is simple the first 2 or 3 verses start with the line ‘I will put in the box …’ the next verse tells us what your box is made of and the final verse tells us where you will go and what you will do in your magic box.
Here is an example:
My Magic Box
I will put in the box …
A glimmering shooting star
A dinosaur’s claw
And Tom Riddle’s diary.
I will put in the box …
A tooth fairy’s tear
Santa’s beard trimmings
And Charlie’s winning golden ticket.
I will put in the box …
My teddy bear’s secret picnic
My favourite glittery red shoes
And a silk scarf my gran got me in India.
My box is fashioned from pearls and ice
With rubies in the corner and golden hinges
Its priceless treasure kept safe inside.
I will fly a magic carpet with my box to Never Never Land
To play with Tinkerbell and tease Captain Hook
Until the sunbeams no longer dance on the azure waters.
Odes
An ode usually praises a person, place or thing. It uses descriptions to tell the reader about the unique qualities of the subject and tells us why the subject is adored so much. Odes don’t have to rhyme.
Here is an example:
Ode To Scribbler!
Oh glorious perfect Scribbler!
How you fill my day with joy,
Your colourful body attracts my eyes,
While your insides provide me with knowledge and fun.
Oh Scribbler! how I marvel at your ability to stand tall
Above all others,
How you manage to pack so much enjoyment into every issue,
You are my hero,
How will I ever cope if you leave me?
Oh wonderful Scribbler!
Riddles
A riddle poem is where you describe someone or something as a series of other things, such as a place, a food, a season etc. At the end of the poem you reveal who the riddle is about.
Here is an example:
She is as pink as a wriggly worm
She is as bright and busy as New York City
She is chocolate ice cream with sauce and sprinkles
She is as warm as a summer’s day
She is as tall as the Faraway Tree
She is as magical as Harry Potter
She is as fun as Alton Towers
She is as sparkly as the biggest, brightest star in the night sky
She is a beautiful red rose
She is my sister, Katy.
Tanka
A tanka is a Japanese form made up of 31 syllables in a strict 5-line pattern of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7.
Here is an example:
Tankas are fun to
write. They’re like a haiku but
they have two more lines
and fourteen more syllables
so they need a bit more thought.
Upload Your Poems
If you would like to submit a poem now, fill in the form below and click on 'upload poem' to attach your work. Please ensure your name, age and postal address is on the copy of the poem before you upload it. (Please note that every Poetry Express station offers the option of uploading, so you can do it further into your journey.)
We will confirm receipt of entries that are uploaded or emailed to us.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
