Poetry Writing Peer Conference

Poet’s Name Partner’s Name

Sit where you can see the poem your partner wrote. Have your partner read it to you. Answer the following:

Is there a rhyme scheme? If so, what is it? Describe the rhythm. (Are the syllables almost the same in each line or

are there some long lines and some short? Does the author ever just use one word (or syllable) on a line for effect?)

Discuss other ways the lines could be divided.

Read the poem again.

What is the mood of the poem? What is the author’s purpose? (besides “doing his/her homework”??)

Did the author just try to entertain or are they trying to persuade? Is there any kind of parable?

Did the poet use any figurative language? If so, write it below. Did it improve the poem?

Do you see any places the poet could use figurative language to make the poem more interesting?

This time read your partner’s poem to yourself. If you see any CONVENTION errors (spelling, punctuation,

capitalization, grammar), show it to your partner and have him/her mark it on the poem if he/she agrees with the error. Remember that capitalization works differently in poetry. Often the first line of every poem is capitalized.

Homework: Type your poem and bring it to class the day of the Figurative Language test. Don’t forget to put your name at the bottom.

Possible Extra Credit: Create a poem that can be “Published”. (This means it can be displayed because it has illustrations or is decorated in some way.)