Poetry is a powerful tool for language learning, self-expression, and confidence building. It encourages kids to engage with words, explore their emotions, and tap into their creativity. Among the many forms of poetry, concrete poems stand out as especially engaging, bringing words to life through shape and design.
This unique style of poetry is especially fun because students don’t just write about something, they shape their words into the object itself. It’s a blend of language and art!
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Concrete Poems Explained
A concrete poem, also called a shape poem, is a poem that visually represents its subject. Instead of just describing something with words, the words form the shape of the object being written about.
For example, a poem about an apple might be written to fill the shape of an apple, or the words could curve to create the outlined shape of an apple.
This creative approach makes poetry more appealing and helps students connect words with visual meaning. It’s a fantastic way to inspire creativity, reinforce language skills, and make poetry more interactive.
How To Write a Concrete Poem
Follow these simple steps to help students write and design their very own concrete poems.
Step 1 – Choose a topic
Decide what the poem will be about. Will it focus on something being studied in class, like the animal kingdom, or will it hone in on a more abstract concept like “learning” or “time”? Whatever the topic, it will guide both the shape and the words of the poem.
For this example, we’ll use “the animal kingdom” as the topic.
Step 2 – Pick an object
Choose an object that connects to the poem’s topic. The words of the poem will either form this shape or fit inside it. To simplify the process, use the downloadable concrete poem templates, which provide simple object outlines with lines to help students start writing.
We will choose the object “dolphin” from the topic “animal kingdom” for this explanation.
Step 3 – Brainstorm words and phrases
Have students list descriptive words, emotions, and ideas related to the selected topic and object. Encourage them to consider sensory details such as how the object looks, sounds, feels, or smells. This brainstorming process will help them create more vivid and meaningful concrete poems.
For example, if the topic is “the animal kingdom” and the object is “dolphin,” students might come up with words and phrases like: aquatic mammal, playful, leaping out of the water, friendly animal, sociable, intelligent, lives in the ocean, etc.
Step 4 – Write the poem
Now, students can use their brainstormed words to create a first draft of the poem. It doesn’t have to rhyme, and the focus should be on capturing the essence of the object.
Step 5 – Arrange the words into the shape of the object
There are several ways to form the shape. Students can write the poem within a pre-drawn outline of the object, arrange the words along the edges to create a silhouette, or do a combination of both. Whichever way they decide to go, encourage creativity!
To make the poem truly come to life, students can adjust the structure by rearranging words or tweaking sentences for better flow. This might involve switching out certain words or altering the order to create a smoother rhythm. They can also get creative with fonts, line breaks, and even curves or spirals to match the shape and theme of the poem, giving it a dynamic and visually striking appearance.
Step 6 – Play with placement
Encourage students to move words around to refine the shape. They can also further adjust or change words to ensure the poem flows smoothly and fits the design. Varying font sizes or adding bold to certain words can help emphasize key ideas. Spacing, word direction, or staggered lines can add to the artistic effect.
Step 7 – Final touches
Students can trace the outline for more definition, adjust spacing, or add color and small illustrations to enhance their poems. Once finished, display the poems around the classroom or compile them into a class poetry book.
Concrete Poem Templates and Examples
Here are some examples to inspire students and give them a clear idea of what they’re aiming for with their concrete poems. These examples showcase how words can come together to form both meaning and shape, sparking creativity and imagination.
Free Printable Concrete Poem Templates
Download our free concrete poem templates and start creating shape poems today. These simple, fun templates make it easy for students to express their creativity through poetry. Grab these templates and watch your students’ creativity take shape!
Plus, check out our examples and ideas for writing blackout poetry!
