All posts in Poems

Simile Poems: “The gummy was as sweet as my mom”

This week was all about comparisons! We started off comparing what the sky and ocean had in common, and then read several student poems that featured similes. Students then did their own brainstorming of […]

Question Poems

For the second session for Ms. Licea’s third-grade classroom at Mark Twain Elementary School, we focused on “question poems” where students wrote both strange and ordinary questions about things happening in their lives. We […]

Colorful Memories

For our second session of poetry, it was a gray rainy Wednesday but just like after a rain shower there’s a chance of spotting a rainbow. Twain 4th graders discussed how colors can express […]

“…Would it evaporate like steam?”

I got the idea for “The Beauty of Questions” lesson awhile back when I was looking through the Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda and illustrated by Paloma Valdivia, which was published in 2022. […]

How to write a fantastic poem

I’m excited to return back to Twain Elementary this Fall to teach poetry to 4th graders. During our first session of poetry this past Wednesday, we read a delicious poem by Eve Merriam, titled […]

“The Reason I Like Chocolate”

Wednesday I was reunited with Mrs. Murphy and got to meet new-to-me 3rd graders at Twain Elementary. It was great meeting Ms. O’Reilly who is covering for Ms. Isaacs while she is on leave. […]

What I Like Poems

This was the first poetry session for Ms. Licea’s third-grade classroom at Mark Twain Elementary School. Many of the students were excited to write about what they like and their feelings. After we got […]

Storytime

This week the young viking writers explored narrative in terms of collective familiarity and the deeply personal narrative in the family. We read Marie Howe’s “Gretel, from a Sudden Clearing” and Kayleb Rae Candrilli’s […]

Nature Poems

This week the young viking writers went on a side quest outdoors to find inspiration in the courtyard of their school building. Before venturing outside, we discussed “why” nature poetry and what does nature […]

And it’s a wrap!

Today we wrapped up our residency at Latino Youth High School with both our English Class and After School Poetry Club by watching some videos of some significant spoken word poets. I introduced students […]

Donate

Support our student poets today!

CONNECT WITH US!

Twitter Facebook-f Instagram

STUDENT POETRY

Click on a school name below to browse student poems from current school partners.

POETRY ARCHIVE

Click on a school name below to browse student poems from our archive.

RECENT FACEBOOK POSTS

TESTIMONIALS

“Writing poetry makes me feel like I can see myself, like I can see my reflection, but not in a mirror, in the world. I write and I know I can be reflected.”
-Oscar S.

“Writing poetry makes me feel free.”
-Buenda D.

“Writing poetry is like your best friend.”
-Jessica M.

Search

CONTACT US

General Inquiries
info@poetrycenter.org

Programs (School & Organizational)
programs@poetrycenter.org

Reading Series and Events:
curator@poetrycenter.org

The Chicago Poetry Center is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
FEIN: 23-7400515

SEND US A POSTCARD

Chicago Poetry Center
1448 E. 52nd St, #256
Chicago, IL 60615

I’M FROM THE CITY LIGHTS / STREAMING OUT IN THE NIGHT / AND HUGE SKYSCRAPERS / TOWERING OVER THE LAKE – MELISSA E., 7TH GRADE POET