WHAT IS A POEM?

Poems are made up of words that create images or pictures in our minds. They have been described as" the best words in the best order", and there are many ways of writing poems. Many poems sound like songs when you read them aloud. This is because poems have a regular rhythm and repeated lines, words or sounds.

Poems have a particular appearance that tells you they are poems before you even read the words. Poems have shorter lines than most sorts of writing. The words of a poem may make short sentences or lists. Sometimes, poems may be shaped to represent a topic, or they might be scattered all over the page.

There are no special topics for poems. They can be about mosquitoes, babies, the sea, supermarkets, friends, skateboards, mountains, anything at all. Poems can be conversations, statements, stories or descriptions. They can be serious or funny. They are written in many purposes; to describe something, to tell a story, to explain feelings, to make a message on a greeting card or to advertise product.

After reading and  understanding how they work, you might even like to write your own poems.