Your poetry can be many things. But is it always about you. We have a break next week, and in our final week, I’d like to have a poetry reading where as many of you who want to share your work can read anything that you’ve created during our time together.

We’ve already been on four poetry adventures. We’ve been able to go over different reasons that people create poetry, as well as some ways that poetry is the same and different from our everyday languages.

Up until now, we’ve also created poetry with guidelines. Many times poets do this. This is part of writing in form.

Sometimes, the guidelines are that there the poem should be about seasons, or contain certain images. For example many Japanese poems are written with the requirement that they incorporate some sort of seasonal word—maybe mentioning a flower, or seasonal weather.

Hint—try writing a poem about seasons!

Other times, the poems have requirements of lines or syllables. A poem has to rhyme a certain way, contain a certain number of syllables, or a certain type of beat. In this way, a poem almost resembles music, which is usually played in a certain structure, with a certain key in a certain scale.

Hint—try writing a sonnet! (Google “sonnet” if you need to)

But all of these guides and forms are there as tools. At their best, they are not there to hold you back. they are there to give you new ways to look at language and ways to grow in how you express yourself.

Hint—try writing a poem that contains more than one language!

Think of it this way. When you learn a new language, you appreciate your original language even more. Being bilingual can help you better understand both languages you speak, for example. In the same way, writing poetry can help you understand the voices inside you when you’re not even thinking about poetry.

Hint—try writing a poem about a game or a movie or a show!

So, for our last assignment, so, for your last assignment, I would like you to write about whatever you want. Whatever you’re thinking of at the time. Whatever is important to you.

Hint—try writing a poem about your personal hero!

But when you do this, I want you to express these thoughts in poetry. Think of everything you know about poetry. Think about everything that we’ve done together over these five weeks. Can you imagine we’ve been here 5 weeks?

Hint—try writing a poem about to your classmates!

I’d like you to write a poem or two. And, if you would like, I would love to hear your poems after the spring break.

Hint—try writing a poem about you!

Poems are also amazing in that they can be read. And sometimes letting the class read to themselves as you read out loud can make them appreciate your work even more!