4.38: Writing Assignment: Allusion, Address, or Symbol Poem

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Directions

Write a poem that includes one of the following: an allusion, a direct address, or a symbol. 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 poem that is a biblical reference like T. S. Eliot’s poem “Journey of the Magi.”
Write a poem that has a historical reference.
Write a poem that addresses a writer that has influenced your writing like Robert Frost’s poem “To E.T.”
Write a poem that addresses an inanimate object.
Write a poem that has a symbolic level like Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”

You get the idea, right? Brainstorm a list of your own ideas, a variation 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, and smell. Remember to include literary devices like assonance, consonance, alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, meter, end-line stop, enjambment, caesura. Of course, poets use less words than fiction 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 unless you are deliberately using enjambment.

Final Directions

Follow these instructions for typing the final draft:

The poem must be typed in 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 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: Allusion, Address, or Symbol 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: Allusion, Address, or Symbol Poem. Authored by: Linda Frances Lein. License: CC BY: Attribution