Spring into writing, part 2

In Spring into writing, part 1, we dipped our toes into some fresh descriptive writing and journaling ideas. Today, in honor of the season, let’s play around with a bit of whimsical poetry.

An Acrostic Poem

Who says poems have to rhyme? Using the letters in the word SPRING, create an acrostic poem about the season. A line can be a single word, a phrase or partial thought, or a complete sentence.

The first poem makes use of simple descriptive phrases. Notice the repeated letters and sounds? Not only is this an acrostic, it’s alliterated too!

S unny skies   
P lanting peppers   
R omping like rabbits
I  mpatiens and irises
N ew nests
G listening, green, and glorious!

Our second example turns a brief bit of vivid prose into a poem by dividing it into lines. You’ll see that by breaking some sentences in the middle instead of at the end creates a more poetic look and sound.

S parrows twitter nearby as I
P ress marigold seeds into the rich brown earth.
R eveling in the moment,
I  wriggle my bare toes in the warm soil,
N ot wanting to go inside, even for supper.
G uess I have spring fever…

Jenny wasn’t even playing! But I found a hilarious S-P-R-I-N-G acrostic at her blog using just one word per letter. So clever!

A Spring Color Poem

Pick your favorite spring color—pink, green, purple, yellow, or blue, for example—and use this template and plenty of descriptive words to create a poem (examples in parentheses). Watch out for vague, dull, or repeated words that can steal life from a child’s writing. Poetry depends on strong word choices to express a thought, so make each one count!

White is … ____ (daisies bobbing in the breeze)
White is … ____ (frolicking lambs)
White is … ____ (a fresh coat of paint on the front gate)
White is … ____ (a gurgling creek)
White tastes like … ____ (frosty vanilla ice cream)
White smells like … ____ (a cool morning rain)
White sounds like … ____ (clean sheets snapping on the clothesline)
White feels like … _____ (a velvety bunny)
White looks like … _____ (a cloud-filled sky)
White makes me … _____ (sing for joy)
White is … ____ (the purity of spring)

Inspired? Your kids will be too! There’s no time like the present—now’s the perfect time to spring into writing!

2008 © Kim Kautzer. All rights reserved.