Free-Write and Poem

  

Step One: Think of a place you love. It can be one that have fond memories of or currently enjoy spending time in and around. Notice what stands out to you and provide the reader with sensory details about the environment, the sights, the sounds, the people or lack of people, the animals, the weather, etc. Rather than telling the reader what you love about this place, show them your love for the place through your attention to detail and through the language and tone you use to describe it.

 

Use humor, diction, pacing, dialogue, etc. Focus on showing, not telling.

For example, I love the library. I can tell you I love the library or I write a paragraph describing the endless rows of books, the voice of the librarian helping a student research a paper, the smell of the coffee in the cafe cart out front, and the weight of a pile of books in my tote bag as I walk outside on a beautiful sunny day to show you the love I have for the local library.
 

Step Two: Turn this piece into a poem. Remember, poems do not have to rhyme and do not have to be in a specific form unless you want them to be. You can write a free verse poem, a sonnet, a haiku, or any other form, or you can invent a form.

Try to use a lot of images and maybe add a metaphor or two.
 

Your poem should demonstrate your love for the place through interesting language and vivid imagery. Dont forget to give it a title. Poem can be any length and any style.