Poem

1. Jot down on a piece of paper a description of an intense moment or feeling you have had.

2. Look for a central image to use (a story to tell, a metaphor to expand, or a symbol to focus on).

3. Think about the structure that best expresses what you want to say.  (A controlled structure with a set rhythm or a rhyme scheme; or free verse where line breaks and stanza breaks provide the only structure; or a combination, perhaps).

4. Keep the focus on the central image, and express what you have to say. Remember that your final poem should be 16-40 lines long.

 5. Add figurative language, so that your poem uses at least one example of each of the following: symbolism, sensory imagery, metaphor/simile. (Your poem may also use hyperbole, understatement, allusion, and/or irony.)