All posts in Poetry

‘remember that’: Small Kindnesses Poems

Students wrote and talked about kindness before reading the poem, ‘Small Kindnesses’ by Denusha Lameris. In crafting their own poems, students focused on one idea, one stanza, and small ways they have been kind […]

‘You have to put water in it:’ Name Poems

‘I celebrate and sing myself…’-Walt Whitman. Students explored names through a series of prompts, which began with reading the poem, ‘a girl named jack’ by Jaqueline Woodson. What occurs in the naming of someone […]

Butterflies Cannot Lie

This week, Smyser’s 4th graders and I wondered how it might feel to step into someone or something else’s shoes for a day. We read Advice from a Raindrop by Kim Stafford and then […]

‘A war in my heart’: Name Poems

Students explored names through a series of prompts, which began with a reading of ‘a girl named Jack’ by Jaqueline Woodson. What occurs in the naming of someone or something? How does it sound […]

‘it feels like a hug from the past”: Odes

Students read Ode To My Shoes by Francisco X. Alacron before penning their own wonderful odes! Lesson Note: “If it were up to me, everything I love would have a poem in praise of […]

Ode to all the little things!

Our first week back after the break, the Smyser 4th graders and I took some time to be grateful for the little things, and practice more descriptive language with our odes! We read Ode […]

‘Clapping our hands when their perforation ended’: School Memory Poems

Students crafted their own school memory poems after reading Connie Wanek’s beautiful poem, Rain Changing to Snow Lesson Note: According to findings by the leading researcher on the power of writing and journaling for […]

‘To fight the night become the light. ‘: Odes

Students read ‘Ode To My Shoes’ by Francisco X. Alacron before penning their own odes. Below are some of their wonderful poems. Lesson Note: “Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are […]

‘Everybody looks…’: Odes

Students wrote Odes about something or someone they wanted to exalt after reading ‘Ode To My Shoes’ by Francisco X. Alacron. Lesson Note: “Rhyme and rhythm have been shown to intensify emotions at a […]

Butterfly Doors (Haiku!)

To start my final week with the 4th graders at Dulles, I thought we would try our hand at some Haiku. We read translations of Issa Kobayashi and discussed how Haiku are based on […]

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