Fifth Grade
Worksheets
You Can Write a Model of This Poem
On January 20, 1961, Robert Frost read some of his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy. Frost died two years later at the age of 88. Kennedy honored him with a speech at Amherst College in Massachusetts a few months later. He described the American poet as an observer and critic of our society.
Poets express their ideas in ways that can make us think. Writing poetry comes easy for some people. Others struggle with rhyme and rhythm, not to mention ideas. Poetry can be a great way to make a point and share ideas. Learning how to write poetry can be very rewarding.
One way to learn to write poetry is to imitate famous poets. A new poet can choose a well-known poem to use as a pattern for a new poem. The pattern is the meter and rhyme scheme that the original poet used. The new poet would use those while writing something different from what is found in the original poem. The new poet should be careful not to plagiarize. The idea is to create a new poem that flows like the original one, not to copy lines word for word.
