Teen Poetry NightTeen Poetry Nightatat

the Bartlesville Public Librarythe Bartlesville Public Library

Couplet ExamplesCouplet Examples

True wit is nature to advantage dressed, True wit is nature to advantage dressed,

What oft was thought, but ne'er so well What oft was thought, but ne'er so well expressed. expressed.

-- Alexander Pope -- Alexander Pope

Whether or not we find what we are seeking Whether or not we find what we are seeking

is idle, biologically speaking. is idle, biologically speaking.

-- Edna St. Vincent Millay (at the end of a -- Edna St. Vincent Millay (at the end of a sonnet) sonnet)

AutobiographicalAutobiographical

Write an autobiographical poem without Write an autobiographical poem without using any pronouns. If you get stuck, think using any pronouns. If you get stuck, think about the objects that are important to about the objects that are important to you and how you use them, the people you and how you use them, the people around you and how they influence you, around you and how they influence you, the particular details of the routine of your the particular details of the routine of your days and the objects that inhabit those days and the objects that inhabit those detailsdetails

ExcusesExcuses

Write a poem made up entirely of Write a poem made up entirely of excuses said to parents, teachers, excuses said to parents, teachers, coaches, siblings, friends, by you, by coaches, siblings, friends, by you, by people you know, by famous people, people you know, by famous people, etc. etc.

Poetry Slam: Identity PoemPoetry Slam: Identity Poem

One of slam poet Patricia Smith's more famous poems is One of slam poet Patricia Smith's more famous poems is called "What It's Like to be a Black Girl (for those of you called "What It's Like to be a Black Girl (for those of you who aren't)." The poem builds in rhythm because each who aren't)." The poem builds in rhythm because each sentence starts with the contraction "It's... ." For example: sentence starts with the contraction "It's... ." For example: "it's being 9 years old and feeling like you're not finished, "it's being 9 years old and feeling like you're not finished, like your edges are wild, ... ." Create your own "What it's like your edges are wild, ... ." Create your own "What it's like" poem for a particular part of your identity you identify like" poem for a particular part of your identity you identify strongly with (be it race, culture, a sport, religion, a school strongly with (be it race, culture, a sport, religion, a school group, etc.). Try to get ten or more lines starting with "it's."group, etc.). Try to get ten or more lines starting with "it's."

Now I am..Now I am..

Write a poem with each line filling in Write a poem with each line filling in the blanks of "I used to be _____ but the blanks of "I used to be _____ but now I am ______." ("I used to write now I am ______." ("I used to write poems, but now I just do poems, but now I just do experiments"; "I used to make sense, experiments"; "I used to make sense, but now I just make poems;" "I used but now I just make poems;" "I used to be a tree-climber, but now I am a to be a tree-climber, but now I am a star-watcher;" etc.). star-watcher;" etc.).

Poet quizPoet quiz

Match faces to namesMatch faces to names

Shall I compare thee to a Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more Thou art more lovely and more temperate:temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too And summer's lease hath all too short a date:short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime And every fair from fair sometime declines,declines,

By chance or nature's changing By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;course untrimm'd;

1.

This Is My Letter To The World

This is my letter to the world,That never wrote to me,--

The simple news that Nature told,

With tender majesty.Her message is committed

To hands I cannot see;For love of her, sweet

countrymen,Judge tenderly of me!

2.

I Live, I Die, I Burn, I DrownI Live, I Die, I Burn, I Drown

I live, I die, I burn, I drownI live, I die, I burn, I drownI endure at once chill and coldI endure at once chill and coldLife is at once too soft and too Life is at once too soft and too

hardhardI have sore troubles mingled I have sore troubles mingled

with joyswith joys

Suddenly I laugh and at the Suddenly I laugh and at the same time crysame time cry

And in pleasure many a grief And in pleasure many a grief endureendure

My happiness wanes and yet My happiness wanes and yet it lasts unchangedit lasts unchanged

All at once I dry up and grow All at once I dry up and grow greengreen

3.

JiltedJilted

Tonight the caustic wind, Tonight the caustic wind, love,love,

Gossips late and soon,Gossips late and soon,

And I wear the wry-faced And I wear the wry-faced pucker ofpucker of

The sour lemon moonThe sour lemon moon

4.

The RavenThe Raven

Once upon a midnight dreary, Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint weary, Over many a quaint

and curious volume of and curious volume of forgotten lore, While I nodded, forgotten lore, While I nodded,

nearly napping, suddenly nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, some one gently rapping,

rapping at my chamber door. rapping at my chamber door. "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- "tapping at my chamber door-

Only this, and nothing more."Only this, and nothing more."

5.

DreamsDreams

Hold fast to dreamsHold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieFor if dreams die

Life is a broken-winged Life is a broken-winged birdbird

That cannot fly.That cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsHold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.Frozen with snow.

6.

I am not from hereI am not from here

I am not from here, my I am not from here, my hair smells of the wind hair smells of the wind

and is full of and is full of constellations, and I constellations, and I

move about this world move about this world with a healthy with a healthy disbelief. And I disbelief. And I

approach my days and approach my days and my work with vaporous my work with vaporous consequence a touch consequence a touch

that is translucent, but that is translucent, but can violate stone.can violate stone.

7.

Still I RiseStill I Rise

You may write me down You may write me down in historyin history

With your bitter, With your bitter, twisted lies,twisted lies,

You may trod me in You may trod me in the very dirtthe very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll But still, like dust, I'll rise.rise.

8.

Justice Denied in Justice Denied in MassachussettesMassachussettes

Let us sit here, sit still,Let us sit here, sit still,Here in the sitting-room until Here in the sitting-room until

we die;we die;At the step of Death on the At the step of Death on the

walk, rise and go;walk, rise and go;Leaving to our children’s Leaving to our children’s

children this beautiful children this beautiful doorway, And this elm, And doorway, And this elm, And

a blighted earth to tilla blighted earth to tillWith a broken hoeWith a broken hoe

9.

if you like my poems let if you like my poems let them them

if you like my poems let themif you like my poems let themwalk in the evening,a little walk in the evening,a little

behind youbehind you

then people will saythen people will say"Along this road i saw a "Along this road i saw a

princess passprincess passon her way to meet her on her way to meet her

lover(it waslover(it wastoward nightfall)with tall toward nightfall)with tall and ignorant servants."and ignorant servants."

10.

All That is Gold Does Not All That is Gold Does Not GlitterGlitter

All that is gold does not glitter,All that is gold does not glitter,Not all those who wander are Not all those who wander are

lost;lost;The old that is strong does not The old that is strong does not

wither,wither,Deep roots are not reached by Deep roots are not reached by

the frost.the frost.From the ashes a fire shall be From the ashes a fire shall be

woken,woken,A light from the shadows shall A light from the shadows shall

spring;spring;Renewed shall be blade that Renewed shall be blade that

was broken,was broken,The crownless again shall be The crownless again shall be

king.king.

11.

Autumn DayAutumn Day

Lord, it is time. The summer was too long.Lord, it is time. The summer was too long.Lay your shadow on the sundials now,Lay your shadow on the sundials now,and through the meadow let the winds and through the meadow let the winds

throng.throng.

Ask the last fruits to ripen on the vine;Ask the last fruits to ripen on the vine;give them further two more summer give them further two more summer

daysdaysto bring about perfection and to raiseto bring about perfection and to raise

the final sweetness in the heavy wine. the final sweetness in the heavy wine.

Whoever has no house now will Whoever has no house now will establish none,establish none,

whoever lives alone now will live on whoever lives alone now will live on long alone,long alone,

will waken, read, and write long will waken, read, and write long letters,letters,

wander up and down the barren pathswander up and down the barren pathsthe parks expose when the leaves are the parks expose when the leaves are

blown. blown.

12.

Messy RoomMessy Room

Whosever room this is should be Whosever room this is should be ashamed!ashamed!

His underwear is hanging on the lamp.His underwear is hanging on the lamp.His raincoat is there in the overstuffed His raincoat is there in the overstuffed

chair,chair,And the chair is becoming quite mucky And the chair is becoming quite mucky

and damp.and damp.His workbook is wedged in the window,His workbook is wedged in the window,His sweater's been thrown on the floor.His sweater's been thrown on the floor.His scarf and one ski are beneath the His scarf and one ski are beneath the

TV,TV,And his pants have been carelessly And his pants have been carelessly

hung on the door.hung on the door.His books are all jammed in the closet,His books are all jammed in the closet,

His vest has been left in the hall.His vest has been left in the hall.A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,And his smelly old sock has been stuck And his smelly old sock has been stuck

to the wall.to the wall.Whosever room this is should be Whosever room this is should be

ashamed!ashamed!Donald or Robert or Willie or--Donald or Robert or Willie or--

Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,I knew it looked familiar!I knew it looked familiar!

13.