“I” Poems
“I” poems are written in first person point of view – the poet assumes the characteristics of the topic-becoming the person, place, or thing. “I” poems share information about the topic of the poem. “I” poems may rhyme, but rhyme is not necessary.
“I” Poems: Invitations for students to deepen literary understanding by Linda Kucan
It makes sense! Asking children to apply knowledge learned in writing will help them remember, reflect, and respond with better understanding and comprehension. I feel apprehensive about trying to write poetry myself, although I look forward to trying this strategy with my class of second graders. Scaffolding by using the format for the “I am” poem makes this task seem less daunting. I hope my students will enjoy the invitation to be creative in constructing an “I” poem about what they know (background knowledge) and what they have learned. Too often we rush through our curriculum in order to “cover” everything, but do not take time to allow our young scholars to master, apply, understand, or explore their newfound knowledge.
I also appreciated the quote “We imitate not so much to be like someone else as to learn what she/he has already learned.” (Dunning and Stafford) Imitating authors will help young (and not-so-young J ) writers begin their writing journey.
