POET-POURRI!
Create a Biographical Poem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that you have researched the life of your poet, create a poem that captures some aspect of your poet's life. 

In the novel, Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes, a boy named Wesley Boone, who is the narrator of the first chapter, creates a poem about Langston Hughes entitled "Long Live Langston." This poem reveals aspects of the poet's life using a poetic form.

Long Live Langston

Trumpeter of Lenox and 7th
through Jesse B. Semple
you simply celebrated
Blues and Be-bop
and being Black before
it was considered hip.
You dipped into the muddy waters
of the Harlem River
and shouted "taste and see"
etc.
(For the rest of the poem, see pp. 5-6 of the novel Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes.)

As you can see, the character Wesley used details about Langston Hughes' experience as a poet of the Harlem Renaissance as the basis for this poem.

Your turn!
Your second writing task is to create a poem about the poet of your choice. Your poem should reflect research you have conducted about the poet's life. You will self-select the type or form of the poem (whether ballad, sonnet, ode, etc.) and the aspect of the poet's life that you want to include.You will also use literary elements that you learned in class (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.) to create meaning for your reader.

When crafting your poem, keep the following in mind:

  • the form or type of poem, whether ballad, narrative, or lyric 
  • specific words and phrases that create sensory images and mood
  • sound elements of poetry that contribute to meaning (i.e.
    rhyme, rhyme scheme, and
    rhythm
  • use of poetic devices
  • the use of figurative language (i.e., similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole)
  • elements of style, such as repetition, hyperbole and understatement, and rhetorical questions, etc.

Now create a poem about your chosen poet. Use this checklist to guide your final copy of your biographical poem.

Biographical Poem Checklist