Hush.
Grab a pencil
some paper
spunk.
Let loose your heart—
raise your voice.
What if I have many voices?
Let them dance together
twist and turn
like best friends
in a maze
till you find
your way
to that one true word
(or two).
Sebastiá Serra
How to Write a Poem
Poet Kwame Alexander muses about finding inspiration in this bright and playful poem.
By Kwame Alexander
From the September 2017 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will explore the words and phrases in a poem to help them understand the ideas it expresses.
How To Write A Poem
This poem was originally published in the September 2017 issue.
From OUT OF WONDER. Text copyright © 2017 by Kwame Alexander. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.
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More About the Story
Skills
Interpreting text, paraphrasing, point of view, imagery, text features, poetry writing
Complexity Factors
Levels of Meaning
The poem offers instructions or writing a poem. At the same time, it celebrates the idea that freedom and creativity, not instructions, are needed for writing poetry.
Structure
The poem is written in free verse.
Language
The poem includes the word spunk, which may be unfamiliar to some readers, as well as a good deal of figurative language.
Knowledge Demands
Some prior experience reading poetry will be helpful.
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
1. Preparing to Read
Set a Purpose for Reading (2 minutes)
- Have students read the title of the poem and look at the image.
- Call on a volunteer to read the Up Close box for the class. Ask: What does inspiration mean here? (something that gives us ideas)
2. Reading the Poem
Read the poem aloud for the class or play our audio version. Then discuss the following questions.
Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions (15 minutes)
- Reread the first six lines of the poem. Restate in your own words what the poet tells the reader to do. (paraphrasing) The poet tells the reader to take some paper and a pencil, and let ideas flow from his or her heart.
- Who is speaking the seventh line? Why do you think it is in italics? (point of view) The reader of the poem is responding to what the poet said in the first six lines. It is in italics to show that a different person is speaking; a conversation between the poet and reader is happening.
- What does it mean to have “many voices”? (interpreting text) It means to have different ideas and even personalities to express. For example, one person might have both serious and funny sides to show.
- Reread lines 8-11. What does the poet compare “many voices” to in these lines? What do you think he means? (imagery) He compares “many voices” to best friends making their way around a maze. He probably means the reader should let many words and ideas float around in his or her mind, consider all of them, and perhaps think about how they fit together.
- Look at the words in the yellow circle and the text underneath it. What do these features show? (text features) They show that poets sometimes find their inspiration by reading the work of other poets.
3. Skill Building
Invite students to “follow the instructions” of this poem and write one of their own!
Text-to-Speech