How to Write a “What Bugs Me” List Poem
by Bruce Lansky
A list poem is one of the easiest kinds of poems to write because it doesn’t require either rhythm or rhyme. But that doesn’t mean your students should write anything down helter skelter. Here’s a list of elements that makes a list poem a poem instead of just a list:
1) The writer is telling you something–pointing something out–saying, “Look at this,” or, “Think about this.”
2) There’s a beginning and end to it, like in a story.
3) The list is arranged with stylistic consistency and the words are arranged to
create a parallel structure.
Here’s an example to show you what I mean:
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Continued…
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