Descriptive Phrases: A Fundamental Building Block Of Poetry

Descriptive phrases are a fundamental building block of poetry. Use downtime to help children gain appreciation for creative expression.

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Poetry On The Road

(Published in Directory : Language Arts : Writing)

In our fast paced society, people set aside less and less time for both reading and writing. Visit an internet bulletin board, and you will see phrases like 'ne way', 'lol', 'imho', which mean 'anyway', 'laugh out loud', and 'in my humble opinion', respectively. In a world where every keystroke is a waste of time, it is no wonder that students don't think they have time for descriptive writing and poetry.

Even worse, the ability to use proper grammar and spelling is disintegrating. Asking a student who can't use proper grammar to write poetry or descriptive prose is like asking a violinist to play the Mendelssohn concerto, when he can't even play scales.

Before asking students to write poetry which fits certain meter or rhyme schemes, such as Haiku, sonnets, or even limericks, it is important to help students appreciate the beauty that is possible within the English language.

After watching 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings', the movie based on J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy, I decided it was high time to read the books. As a product of our society-on-the-run, I found the writing more descriptive than I prefer, with a great deal of emphasis on setting and mood. However, there is no denying the genius of such descriptive writing as the following:

--from 'The Two Towers' by J. R. R. Tolkien

To return to the violinist analogy, if we can get students to write descriptive phrases, that is like one of the 'scales' in preparation for the 'concerto' that is creative writing and poetry.

So how do we encourage students to write and think descriptively? One way is to ask students to take a notebook with them when they go on long trips. Since there is often nothing else to do, ask students to watch everything that passes by on the road. Look closely, and ask the following questions about the things they see:

Can I compare this object to something else? (simile)
Can I give this object 'human' qualities? (personification)
Can I describe this object as though it were something else? (metaphor)
Can I give a description that create a feeling of happiness, foreboding, or some other emotion? (mood)

Students should write down the phrases they think of. They don't have to fit any form of meter or rhyme, nor do they have to flow together, or even be complete sentences.

The following are samples of my own, from a recent trip along the somewhat deserted stretch of interstate 95 from Bangor to Houlton, Maine. Some of these were daytime descriptions; others were at night, during the return trip.

Snow streaks across my vision like headlights in a time-lapsed photograph
Trees: Bereft of their foliage, naked yet defiant against the attacks of January
Solitary signposts, like lonely sentinels guarding the gates to such exotic locations as T2-R9 and Millinocket
The sleeping moon, tipped back on its sphere, drifting lazily among wispy pillows
Evergreen branches, heavy laden and bowed down with snow, like a long-armed primate with its knuckles dragging across the ground
Forests, rising darkly into the nightscape, storing up shadows for a sunny day
Trees bowing inward, giving homage to the technological marvel of a highway in the wilderness

If you want more ideas to share with your students, a great resource is the 'Toward More Picturesque Speech' feature in the 'Reader's Digest'. This feature does a great job of collecting creative, descriptive phrases.

About the Author

Name: Douglas Twitchell

Website: http://www.jeorgethedodo.com/dougblog/

Bio: I am the designer, maintainer, and editor of this site (Articles For Educators).

I am a former educator in both elementary and secondary math and science. In addition to this site, I also built and maintain the following educational sites: The Problem Site, Tile Puzzler, and Quote Puzzler.

I'm also a ventriloquist, and you can find more about my puppets here: Jeorge The Dodo

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Recent Member Comments

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mgscmwa wrote on Apr 28, 2006	quote options
I thought this was a wonderful article. The idea of students taking notebooks on trips was great. It is a great way for students to remember their trip experiences and to provide them with good story starter ideas.

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