I think that one of the reasons that students often tend to shy away from writing poetry is because of the misconception that poetry has to rhyme. The rhyming aspect of poetry can cause students to get nervous about writing poetry and view it as a task that is too difficult for them to do. Free verse poetry is a great way to get students to explore writing poetry without being restrained in their word choice because of rhyming. This can be a very freeing experience for students.
Students can be invited to begin writing their poetry from their observation of an object that is important to them. They can be encouraged to find a way to make this object “come to life” for the audience. These invitations can help students to become comfortable in their ability to write poetry.
