The season of pumpkins, scary costumes and the rhythmic chorus of “Trick or treat!” is here! In addition to giving children the opportunity to unwind from the second month of a busy school year, Halloween also provides an occasion for fun activities such as crafts, art, cooking and even poem writing. Here is a five-step guide to teach your little one how to write their first Halloween poem:
- Choose one part of Halloween to write about.
As a holiday, Halloween has many different parts to it. To make your poem strong and focused, choose one part of the celebration that intrigues you the most and make that the center of your poem. For example, you could write about pumpkins, about your favorite Halloween costume or about one part of a costume—such as a piece of Gargoyle headgear or a Minotaur’s horn. Remember, specificity is the key— the more specific you are, the more powerful your poem will be!
- Think of five adjectives/phrases related to what you chose.
While poets may implement this in different ways, most good poems that “click” are rich in description and imagery. To accomplish this, think of five adjectives/phrases related to the part of Halloween you chose to write about. For instance, if you chose to write about pumpkin cake, your five words could be: delicious, scary, beady-eyed, much-loved and brightly-colored.
- How does what you chose make you feel?
Poetry is an art of emotion. So, in your verses, it is important for you to express how you feel about the main theme of your poem. Let’s say that pumpkin-shaped lanterns that have eyes carved into them make you feel scared and fascinated at the same time. Combine this with the five adjectives/phrases technique explained in the second step and put that in your poem. No matter how long your poem is, whether it is just one stanza or several verses put together, descriptions and emotions always go a long way in strengthening it.
- It does NOT have to rhyme!
While most first poems or elementary-level verses are usually rhyming, it’s so important to understand that good poetry does not have to rhyme. If rhymes occur naturally and you don’t find yourself making a lot of effort to incorporate rhyming into your work, then go for it! Otherwise, stick to what comes to you on your first instinct, and you’ll be surprised to see that original thought often works better than forced thought.
- Finish with a title.
It isn’t always necessary to give your poem a title, and you may also notice that some of the best children’s poems do not have a title! However, in your early years of writing poetry, it is important to realize that a title is actually an effective way to tie the elements of your poem together.
As straightforward as the process might sound, title composition is not a cakewalk, and an easy formula to begin with is the 2:3 ratio. Aim for a no more than a five-word title, where the first two words capture the main theme of your poem and the last three words talk about how you feel about your main theme. For example, if you’re writing about a witch’s robe, your title could be something along the lines of: The Magical Robe That Scares Me or The Robe That Roars. Brevity is the key to a successful title, so try to see if you can come up with something that is short and still says what you want to say!
