Twain 6th graders completed their last day of poetry this week. To celebrate our 10th and final day, we wrote Ars Poetica poems. Ars Poetica is poetry that talks about the art of writing poetry, and what poetry means to the poet. I asked students the questions: How do you see poetry? How would you describe poetry to someone else?
Together we read and discussed the poem, “Ars Poetica,” by Archibald MacLiesh. In his poem h as a flight of uses similes to describe how he sees and feels about poetry. The lines that stood out to students were: A poem should be wordless as a flight of birds/ A poem should be palpable and mute as a globed fruit/ A poem should be motionless in time as the moon climbs.
6th graders worked in groups and created these wonderful Ars Poetica poems below. Some even got a chance to share the out loud, using my blue mic and speaker. Thank you for an exciting ten weeks, Twain students, I hope you have an amazing summer vacation!
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 1
The Rough Side Of Poetry
By Felicia B., Aleksandra B., Omar D., Samantha M.,
Aaliyah M., Jasmin R., and Janette S.
A poem is as deep as death.
A poem is as dark as the midnight sky.
Confusing as a puzzle.
Harder than a pile of rocks.
A poem is like a faraway land.
A poem is as dangerous as war.
Mystery Box
By Lia, Jaylynn, Kylie, Moe, Max, Damian, Ricardo,
Lorenzo, and Victor
A poem is as good as a model.
A poem is like a Mario Random Box.
A poem is like a rainy day.
A poem is as soft as a flower.
A poem is a place to dream.
A poem is a safe place to read.
Poetry is a way to calm down.
Writing poetry is a good side activity.
Poetry is as cool as the ocean.
A poem is as annoying as a cicada.
A poem is as sour as my ex and the next.
Poetry is like medicine when you’re sick.
Poetry is as sweet as candy.
Poetry is like chlorine in your eyes.
Poetry is suffocating as a birdcage.
A poem is as agonizing as summer’s heat.
Poem: Good & Bad
By Gracie B., Melanie C., Veronica H., Jazlyn L.,
Noemi N., Alejandra N., and Daniel T.
A poem is a paper ready to be published.
A poem is like going outside in your free time.
A poem is like being forced to stay awake.
A poem is like a wild card.
A poem flows like a beautiful river.
A poem is as hard as Math.
A poem is like a rainy day.
A poem is as calm as the wind.
A poem is like a bad hair day.
A poem is as fun as fair.
A poem is like a book being read out loud.
As boring as a wakeup call.
Poetry is as sweet as honey.
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 2
What Is A Poem?
By Jackie, Isabella A., Isabella R., Arely,
Nia, Chris, Luis, Sade
A poem is as graceful as a swan.
A poem is like the sound of rain.
A poem is like a life arrow.
A poem is like a stubborn child.
A poem is as meaningful as a letter.
A poem is as confusing as a rock
A poem is as loving as a love song.
A poem is like speaking your mind.
Poems are as meaningful as love,
explanatory and photographic.
Poetry is as fun as a game.
Poetry is as dumb as school.
A poem as peaceful as a library.
A poem is as nice as a dog.
A Poem
By Giovanni, Cordell, Salvador, and Jayda.
A poem is as good as food.
A poem is like a cheeseburger.
A poem is as good as watermelon.
A poem is like a book.
A poem is as good at soccer Adrian.
A poem is as strong as Adrian.
A poem is as good as the weather.
A poem is as good as going to the fair.
A Poem Is
By Leah, Mia, Aiden, Celeste, and Adrian
A poem is as sad as a funeral.
A poem is as difficult as College Math.
A poem is as hard as a rock.
A poem is as cool as a cube.
A poem is as lame as being in school.
A poem is as cool as winter air.
A poem is as boring as Math class.
A poem is as swift as the wind.
A poem is as silent as a snake.
A poem is as confusing as Algebra.
What Poems Are Like
By Nicole A., Raul A., Sarahi C., Matthew V., Chris M., Jaylena,
Rosemary N., Alex O., and Adulynn Z.
A poem is as crazy as a monkey.
A poem is as big as a melon.
A poem is hard like a Rubic cube.
A poem is as slow as a clock.
A poem is like trash.
Poetry is like a sloth.
A poem is a rat.
A poem is like a bottle.
A poem is like glass.
A poem is like blooming flowers.
A poem changes like years.
A poem is as addictive as sugar.
A poem is like a breath of fresh air.
A poem is as strong as a speech.
Mr. Barr’s 6th Grade
Group 3
A Poem
By Joseph A., Valentina B., Amelia G., Valerie L., Julian O.,
and Vincent O.
A poem is as long as an eel.
A poem is as big as an ocean.
A poem is like a calm cat.
A poem is as soft as soft as a pillow.
A poem is like a puzzle.
A poem is like cake, with many layers.
A poem is as bright as the sun.
A poem is like a happy dog.
Poems are as boring as school.
Poems are as fun as Six Flags.
A poem is a feeling of home.
A poem is like a library pool of words.
A Poem Is Like
By Maximiliano H., Benito V., Jared R., Shareese D., Mylio W.,
Bellamor H., Isabella M., Ariana S., and Sophia.
A poem is as crazy as a monkey.
A poem is like life.
A poem is as cool as a shooting star.
A poem is as sad as a dead dog.
A poem is as sad as a thunderstorm.
A poem is as pretty as a flower.
A poem is like takis.
A poem is like art.
A poem is like basketball.
A poem is fire, like Benito.
A poem is as cool as Benito.
A poem can be as strong as a tiger.
A poem should flow like a river.
A poem is like a calm stream.
A poem is full of words like a story.
A poem is like a song.
A poem is like a rotting banana.
A poem is like a fish in a small tank.
Poetry Is Unique
By Melisa R., Tara., Roberto M., Christopher, Jade, and Aaliyah
A poem is as pretty as a flower.
A poem is as bright as a light bulb.
A poem is as cool as an ocean.
A poem is as cool as ice.
A poem is as crazy as a Rock song.
A poem is like a eyeball, it moves a lot.
A poem is like a flower, it blooms,
like it has power.
A poem is predictable like winter.
A poem is as short as an ant.
A poem is too hard for me,
I’m always running out of time.
I can only think of this line.
