Middle School
Worksheets
Write a Portrait Poem
How well do you know yourself? One must assume that you know yourself better than anyone else does. Therefore, no one is as qualified as you are to compose a portrait poem about yourself. A portrait poem contains autobiographical content. Indeed, it may also be called an autobiographical poem.
In a portrait poem, the poet creates a picture using words. This descriptive poem gives the reader a glimpse of the poet's true self. The poet may choose to reveal personal secrets or merely hint at them. How much or how little is shared is up to the poet's discretion. A good portrait poem will evoke an emotional reaction in the reader.
The portrait poem doesn't follow a rhyme scheme or a meter. It's like free verse. Including poetic devices such as alliteration and metaphors can add interest to the poem. Certainly the use of action words, specific nouns, and descriptive adjectives can give the reader a better sense of the poet. An experienced poet probably won't use a template to write a portrait poem, but templates can be helpful for training novices to write portrait poetry.
Here is the template you will use for your assignment, followed by an example:
FIRST STANZA
I am (your name)
I am (name two characteristics)
I wonder ...
I see ...
I hear ...
I want ...
SECOND STANZA
I am (your name again)
I say ...
I pretend ...
I feel ...
I worry ...
I cry ...
THIRD STANZA
I am (your name again)
I understand ...
I dream ...
I try ...
I hope ...
I am (your name again)
Example:
I am Brenda Covert
I am descended from farmers and deathly allergic to fire ants
I wonder why I didn't inherit a green thumb from my grandparents
