Joye
Her eyes sparkle
Like the stars on a starry night.
Born in Lorain, Ohio on September 24, 1937,
She brought laughter to her family, became a playmate to
Her brother, Jim, and the cousins that lived around the block from her.
She grew to become an artist, and shared her gift to others at several art shows. Her art is
like
a modern Monet, which inspires me to look outside my private world and to see the wonder
of nature, sunlight, and self.
She inspires me to create through art and writing.
She is my hero.
The person I want
To be. She is
my Lovely Mother.
Do you ever wonder where you get your sense of humor? Or, how you naturally are a great artist or writer? Was there someone who inspired or encouraged you to show off those talents? Spring is the best time to write biographical free verse poems, because Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are right around the corner. Biographies are a third person account of someone special to you, so you are writing about a particular person.
This month’s “Write It” is a biographical shape poem. It is a tree to represent the Family Tree. Here are some tips:
- 1. Interview someone special in your life (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, other family member).
- 2. Ask questions, a lot of them. For example:
- a. When and where were you born?
- b. Where did you grow up? What was the most special thing about that place? (Get a funny, inspirational story, or a memory)
- c. Who inspired you? Why?
- d. What are memorable things that happened to you?
- e. What is one thing you are very proud of? How did it make a difference in your life?
- 3. Place your notes onto a chronological storyboard. Remember biographies, no matter the structure, should be in sequential order.
- 4. Think about how this person makes a difference to you.
- 5. Create your shape poem structure, like a tree. The example begins with shorter phrases/sentences and grows to longer sentences. Lines are narrowed at the bottom like the trunk of a tree. You can be more creative! Use a shape that best represents your poem or the person you interview.
- 6. Plan, Practice, and Play with the words and sentences.
- 7. Learning about a family member helps you to understand who you are, too. It’s fun to learn about your family and its history.
Send your biographical shape poem to Magic Dragon! We’d love to read it.