My students have a lot of fun writing concrete poetry instead of writing in lines. There’s something freeing in the prospect that the words can take on any shape on the page.

When teaching concrete poems, the best way I’ve found to kick off the lesson is to bring in a few well-chose examples. It’s effective to make the poems visible to everyone. Depending on the technology available at the school, I make transparencies or scan the pages and use Powerpoint slides.

Lately my elementary school students have expressed excitement over Jack Prelutsky’s “I Am Winding Through a Maze” and “I Am Stuck Inside a Shell.” Secondary school students enjoy Maxine Kumin’s “400-meter Freestyle.” The end products are a delight to both the eyes and the mind.

Pizza

Crispy and yummy,

light and new baked out of the oven

a minute or two

whenever people eat it

it’s like something new

its crunch and crisp

it’s like a bird flew.

By Andy, 2nd grade

posted by Amy Lin, Writers in the Schools