4.20: Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem

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Directions

Write a poem that incorporates a figure of speech: simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, or understatement. You may write it in first-person point of view (I, me, my, we, us, etc.) or third-person point of view (he, she, it, they, etc.) Here is a list of poem suggestions:

Write a nature poem using a simile like Carl Sandburg did in “Fog.” Be sure to use the word like or as.
Choose an abstract noun (peace, hate, joy, etc.) and write a poem using an extended metaphor like Emily Dickinson did in “Hope is the Thing with Feathers.” Be sure the abstract noun is compared to a concrete noun (something the reader can visualize) by using the word is.
Choose an inanimate object and personify it like Robert Frost did in “Storm Fear.”
Create an original hyperbole and use the line in a poem like Robert Frost did in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
Write a narrative poem that shows understatement like Mary Howitt’s poem “The Spider and the Fly.”

You get the idea, right? Brainstorm a list of your own ideas, avariation of one of the above, or use one of the above ideas.

Show Don’t Tell

Remember to use specific nouns and strong action verbs. Remember to use your senses: sight, sound, taste, touch, smell. Of course, poets use less words than fictional writers, too.

Line Breaks

Follow the traditional line breaks and format that most free-verse poets use. Make the line breaks where there is punctuation, an end of a phrase, or the end of a sentence.

Final Draft Instructions

Follow these instructions for typing the final draft:

The poem must be typed in a Microsoft Word file (.docx).
It must have one-inch margins, be single-spaced, and typed in a 12 pt. readable font like Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial.
Don’t allow the auto-correct in Microsoft Word to capitalize the first line of each poem. Use conventional English rules to write your lines.
In the upper left-hand corner of page 1, type your first and last name, the name of the class, the date the assignment is due, and the assignment name. Example:

Jane Doe
ENGL 1465–Creative Writing
Due Date:
Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem

Be sure to give your poem a title. Do not bold, enlarge, or punctuate the title. Capitalize the first word and each important word in the title.

Writing Assignment: Figure of Speech Poem. Authored by: Linda Frances Lein, M.F.A. License: CC BY: Attribution