Monday, April 19, 2010

Poem #19--"If-You-Were" Metaphor Poems

Back in January, Father Goose (Charles Ghigna), introduced a new poetry form: the "If-You-Were" Poem. He explains the form in this post, saying,
"Here's a fun verse form that everyone can write! I created this simple 4-line format many years ago to help introduce students and teachers to metaphor. It's exciting to see how quickly it catches on!

Instructions:
Think of a person you like.
Compare that person to some thing (inanimate object).
Now compare yourself to some thing associated with the first object."
I'm asking my students to try this form this week, so I thought I better see how it goes so I can give them some insider tips. Here are my attempts:


If you were the pencil
and I were the answer,
we'd find each other
like the dance finds the dancer.


If you were the wonder
and I were the thought,
we'd play hooky in springtime
and never get caught!


If you were the butterfly
and I were the net,
I'd watch without catching
and have no regrets.

by Mary Lee Hahn, copyright 2010


6 comments:

  1. I love this form and the samples you wrote!

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  2. I love that today's poets are creating new forms for us to play with. I'll have to try this with my next class too!

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  3. LOVE your poems! And what a cool form :).

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  4. What great poems! I'm enjoying your poem a day posts. Keep it up!

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  5. Okay, I love these! I am going to steal (*ahem* use) this idea for a poetry stretch. Terrific examples. I bow down to your writing persistence. I would love to post a poem a day but ...

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  6. Bridget and Tricia, thanks for the encouragement to keep going with the poem a day. It hasn't always been easy and the poems haven't always been ones I'm real proud of, but I've surprised myself by making it this far (and since I'm this far, I know I'll make it to the end, barring some kind of tragedy)!

    Tricia, it's Father Goose's form, so steal/borrow on! I LOVE it when I've accidentally written something for your stretch (or when I have the time to work on it)!!

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