This is your chance to write a poem using imagery. Use this worksheet to help you construct your own poem using imagery. Remember, the lines do not have to rhyme, and since you are writing a poem, the answers to the questions for lines 1-5 do not have to be in complete sentences. Focus on using imagery in your poem. You must write at least one line for each of the senses, but you may write more if you wish. You can read the example image poem on the back of this sheet if you need help.

Title: (For the title, you can use the name of the event or activity that you will describe in the rest of the poem. See the list below for suggestions.)
Possible topics: a holiday, a sporting event, a regular occasion (Sunday dinner with family or Friday night at the mall with friends), transition to a new school, death of a loved one, birth of a new sibling, moving to a new city, description of a favorite place (your street, your grandma’s house, a special place in the country), etc.
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Line 1: (Answer the following question: How does it smell? Think of scents that you associate with the title of your poem. By answering this question, you have created the first image of the poem!)_____________________________________________________________________________

Line 2: (Next question: How does it taste? What tastes are associated with the memory you are describing?) ___________________________________________________________________________________

Line 3: (Question: What do you hear? Describe the sound(s) associated with your memory.) ___________________________________________________________________________________

Line 4: [Question: What do you feel? Describe things you touch or the way you feel. You could describe touching something (‘It was prickly; soft; rough; slimy; etc.’) or you could describe your general physical state (‘I am cold; warm; nauseous; sweaty; etc.’).] _____________________________________________________________________________

Line 5: (Question: What does it look like? Use lots of adjectives – describing words – and explain what you see in your memory.) __________________________________________________________

SAMPLE IMAGE POEM

Christmas Eve
Sweet cinnamon mingled with the odor of evergreen fir
Juicy turkey and sticky, syrupy pecan pie
My uncle pretends he’s Elvis, “I’ll have a blue
Christmas…..without you,” he sings and curls his upper lip
I snuggle against the soft wool of my father’s sweater
He kisses me on the forehead
Tiny, white lights twinkle on the tree
Heavy green garland sags along the oak mantle
Candles glow on the crowded dinner table
Smiles, shiny wrapping paper, bows,
Frosting, gingerbread men, and cakes. ~H. Crider