Poetry is a powerful tool for language learning, self-expression and building confidence. It encourages children to engage with words, explore their emotions, and utilize their creativity. Among the many forms of poem, concrete poetry stands out as particularly fascinating, bringing the words back to life through form and design.
This unique style of poetry is especially fun. This is because students don’t just write about something, they also shape the words into the objects themselves. It’s a fusion of language and art!
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A specific poem explained
A concrete poem, also known as a shape poem, is a poem that visually describes the subject. Instead of explaining something with words, the words form the shape of the object they are written in.
For example, a poem about an apple may be written to fill the shape of an apple. Or you can mess up the words and create an apple shape.
This creative approach makes poetry more appealing and helps students connect words with visual meaning. It’s a great way to inspire creativity, strengthen language skills, and make poetry more interactive.
How to write a specific poem
Follow these simple steps to allow students to write and design their own specific poems.
Step 1 – Select a topic
Decide what the poem is. Do you focus on what is being studied in the class, like in the kingdom of animals, or more abstract concepts such as “learning” or “time”? Whatever the topic is, it guides both the form of the poem and the words.
In this example, we use the “animal kingdom” as the topic.
Step 2 – Select an object
Select the object to connect to the topic of the poem. The words of the poem form or fit within this form. To simplify the process, use a downloadable, concrete poetry template to provide a simple object outline so that students can start writing.
For this explanation, select the object “Dolphin” from the topic “Animal Kingdom”.
Step 3 – Brainstorm words and phrases
Ask students to list descriptive words, feelings, and ideas related to the selected topic and object. We encourage you to consider the details of the object’s appearance, sound, feeling, smell, and more sensation. This brainstorming process helps you create concrete poems that are clearer and meaningful.
For example, if the topic is “animal kingdom” and the object is “dolphin”, students may come up with words or phrases such as aquatic mammals, playfulness, jumping out of the water, friendly animals, social, intellectual, living at the sea.
Step 4 – Write a poem
Currently, students can use brainstorming words to create their first draft of the poem. There is no need to rhyme, but focus should be on capturing the essence of the object.
Step 5 – Place the words in the shape of an object
There are several ways to form a shape. Students can write poetry within the outline drawn before the object, create a silhouette by placing words along the edges, or combine both. Either way, encourage creativity!
To truly bring the poem back to life, students can adjust the structure by rearranging words or adjusting sentences for better flow. This includes switching between specific words or changing the order in which they create a smoother rhythm. They also use fonts, line breaks, and even curves and spirals to create creative fits with the shape and theme of the poem, giving it a dynamic and visually impressive look.
Step 6 – Play with placement
Encourage students to move their words to refine their shapes. You can also adjust or change the words further to make the poem flow smoothly and fit the design. Changing the font size or adding bold to a particular word can help highlight important ideas. Spacing, word orientation, or shifted lines can increase the artistic effect.
Step 7 – Final Touch
Students can track outlines for more definitions, adjust spacing, and enhance the poem by adding colours and small illustrations. When finished, display the poems around the classroom or edit them into a class poem book.
Specific poem templates and examples
Here are some examples to inspire students and give them clear ideas about what they are aiming for with specific poems. These examples show how words come together to form words and forms, and to form both creativity and imagination.
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snails
This template is perfect for spring nature studies and lessons on invertebrates. It encourages students to explore slow and stable creativity.
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apple
Use this template when learning about autumn, harvest season, or agricultural history.
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This template is perfect for sports-themed lessons, teamwork discussions, gym classes, or soccer activities before a big game.
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dog
This template fits well with lessons on pet care, animal shelters, or fun writing activities during National Pet Week in May.
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solar
Complement your science lessons on the solar system, seasons, or weather patterns while inspiring warm and bright poetry with this fun template.
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tree
Use this template to inspire poetry about the impact on trees and the Earth, including Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Environmental Science Units.
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dinosaur
Perfect for science dinosaur units and historical lessons from prehistoric times, this template allows children to bring these extinct animals back to life through poetry.
Free printable concrete poetry template
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Download free concrete poem templates and start creating shape poems now. These simple and fun templates allow students to easily express their creativity through poetry. Grab these templates and watch your students’ creativity take shape!
