Poetry Friday & Unicorn

Believe

by Amy LV

Students - did your writing ever just make you happy? Writing "Unicorn" made me very happy. It might be because I love magical creatures like Puff (the Magic Dragon) and unicorns. It might be because this is a mask poem, written in the voice of another, in the voice of a unicorn. This is one of my favorite kinds of poems to write.

One thing I especially enjoyed while writing this poem was working on the ending. I hope that it surprised you. By titling the poem "Unicorn," I hope that a reader will think the poem is about believing in unicorns. Of course, it's really about believing in CHILDREN, and I want this to be a surprise.

This week's poems and lessons all focused on endings. Monday's "I Doodle Poodles" took an ending-lesson from David McCord's "The Pickety Fence."  And Wednesday's "Tucked Twinkie" ended abruptly, a different kind of surprise than today's twisty ending.

Endings are important in poetry. If the beginning lines of a poem make a first impression, helping a reader decide whether or not to continue reading, the last lines of a poem leave a taste in a reader's mouth. After you write something, reread the ending and ask yourself, "What taste am I trying to leave in my readers' mouths? Is it working?"

Laura is hosting today's Poetry Friday roundup over at Writing the World for Kids. Swing by and check out all of this week's offerings.  And if you feel like writing and sharing, don't miss Laura's 15 Words or Less photograph!

SPARK 15 registrations are up.  This is a great opportunity for writers to connect with artists and musicians - sharing and inspiring!

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