Name _______________________________________________________ Date ________

Ordinary to Poetic
Think about figurative language and word choice to change the ordinary
observations to poetry.
Topic- Trees
Ordinary

Poetic

Green

Trees as green as limes

Tall

Majestic giants

Leaves

Sparkling jewelry of leaves

Old

Historic recorders of time

Topic - ______________________________
Ordinary

Poetic

Name _____________________________________________ Date______________________

Spinning Metaphors & Similes
Surprise your reader-A rock is as hard as a pebble is not surprising at all because they are
both very similar. Linking things that are both similar and different gives us more of a surprise.
Examples- a rock is as hard as a door, a rock is as hard as a challenging math test after a long
weekend
Dont be afraid to think of comparisons that may seem bizarre or unusual, if they dont work
out you can always take them out.

Choose from the topics listed or think of your own topic. Brainstorm 5 similes or metaphors.
Elephant
Fish
Rainbow
Mountain
Pizza
Cloud
Sky
Love
Freedom
Anger
School
Bubblegum
A ____________________________ is like:
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Name ____________________________________________________ Date ________________

Guessing Metaphors
Read the 3 metaphoric poems below. Try and guess what the title (the topic) is. Then try
writing your own metaphoric poem. Underline any words that help you infer the topic.

_______________________________ By Philip Dacey

The odd, friendless boy raised by four aunts.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _
_____________________________ By Valerie Worth
Out of
Green space,
A sun:
Bright for.
A Day, burning
Away to
A husk, a
Cratered moon:
Burst
In a week
To dust:
Seeding
The infinite
Lawn with
Its starry
Smithereens.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _
______________________ By Charles Simic
Green Buddhas
On the fruit stand.
We eat the smile
And spit out the teeth.

Name _____________________________________________ Date _______________

Personification
Go on a personification walk. Write down five things you notice. Example- sky, leaves, wind,
etc
Choose one and make a list of at least 5 ways your subject seems human or animal-like. Draw a
quick sketch of the item you are going to write about. It may help you to write from the
perspective of the thing.
Example: Tree= I have giant hands reaching toward the sky.
Moon= I am a goddess emerging from the sea.
Sun= I am a ruby red ball of power and might.
List of things you notice:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Choose one and draw a quick image.

Time to personify your object. (At least 3 lines)

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Name ___________________________________________________ Date ________________

Verbs- Engines of Sentences

Specific Verbs Add Energy!

Vague verbs leave us with a fuzzy sentence.

She was doing something in the garden.
Passive verbs give us a lackluster sentence.
She was watering the garden.
Precise verbs in present tense give energy to a sentence.
She watered the garden with tenacity and energy, making sure that every plant received water
all the way down to its roots.
*ENERGIZE THE SENTENCES BELOW and change the verbs in the sentences to active, energetic
and interesting verbs.
He did something in the pool.
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She was happy at school.
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Make up your own bland sentence. Give it to a friend to energize!
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