Day 2 Exit Check: Whisper your stanza aloud. Which word makes the most satisfying sound?

Name:                                    Date:                     

Period:           

Day 3

The Metaphor Machine: Figurative Meaning

Poetry Pulse Workshop

Part 1: Extended Metaphor — "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes

Deconstruct the symbol

"Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. / It’s had tacks in it, / And splinters, / And boards torn up, / And places with no carpet on the floor— / Bare. / But all the time / I’se been a-climbin’ on..."

Metaphor Decoder:

1. The Comparison: Life is compared to a damaged wooden staircase.

2. What do the splinters and tacks stand for in real life?

Part 2: Build Your Metaphor Recipe (Emotion = Machine / Object)

Select one emotion (Anxiety, Hope, Frustration, Joy). Choose a mechanical or everyday object to represent it:

My Emotion:

The Physical Object / Machine:

How They Act Alike:

Part 3: The Metaphor Recipe Poem (6–8 Lines)

Rule: Do NOT use "like" or "as" — equate them directly

Describe the moving parts of your object to reveal how the emotion operates. (Example: "Anxiety is a rusted bicycle...")

Day 3 Exit Check: What hidden truth does your metaphor reveal about that feeling?

Name:                                    Date:                     

Period:           

Day 4

Anatomy of Verse: Form & Lineation

Poetry Pulse Workshop

Part 1: Lineation Study — "We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

Notice the breaks

"We real cool. We / Left school. We /
Lurk late. We / Strike straight. We /
Sing sin. We / Thin gin. We /
Jazz June. We / Die soon."

Structural Dissection:

1. Why does Brooks place "We" at the end of each line instead of the start?

2. How does the pause before each action create tension?

Part 2: Raw Prose Text for Line-Break Surgery

Transform this continuous prose into poetry by slicing it with intentional line breaks and stanza divisions:

"The clock in the hallway ticked like an executioner counting down the seconds. I reached for the brass handle and felt the cold metal bite into my palm before I finally gathered the nerve to turn it."

Part 3: Reconstructed Stanzas (8–10 Lines in 2 Stanzas)

Break on words that hold tension

Rewrite the sentence above as a poem. Use enjambment to make the reader hold their breath. Leave a gap between stanzas.

Day 4 Exit Check: Circle your sharpest enjambment. Why did you leave the reader hanging there?

Name:                                    Date:                     

Period:           

Day 5

The Poet's Voice: Culminating Workshop

Poetry Pulse Workshop

Part 1: Culminating Poem Requirements (10–14 Lines)

Unite all 4 days

[ ] 2+ Senses (Day 1)

[ ] 1 Sound Device (Day 2)

[ ] 1 Metaphor (Day 3)

[ ] Stanzas & Breaks (Day 4)

Part 2: Final Polished Poem

Title: ________________________________

Part 3: Artist Statement

1. What is your central metaphor, and what real feeling does it explore?

2. Explain one intentional line break choice you made:

Golden Line Slip

Paste or write the peer feedback line given to you during the Poetry Lounge:

"The line that struck me was..."

Name:                                Date:                     

Supported Edition

Day 3

The Metaphor: Feelings as Objects

Metaphors

Step 1: What is a Metaphor?

A metaphor says an emotion IS a physical object. It doesn't mean it's literal—it helps people feel what you feel!

Example 1:

"My anger is a boiling tea kettle."

Why? It gets hot and whistles loudly!

Example 2:

"My hope is a sunny morning."

Why? It brings light after dark!

Step 2: Choose Your Emotion & Object

Circle one emotion and circle one matching object to pair up:

Circle ONE Emotion:

ANXIETY JOY ANGER TIREDNESS

Circle ONE Matching Object:

A RUSTY BIKE A ROLLER COASTER HEAVY ROCKS A FLASHLIGHT

Step 3: Write Your Metaphor Poem

Complete the sentence frames below using your chosen emotion and object:

Line 1: My

is a

Line 2: It has

Line 3: When it moves, it

Line 4: It never stops until

You did it! You created a real extended metaphor. You explained a human feeling through a physical machine!

Name:                                Date:                     

Supported Edition

Day 4

Line Breaks: Where the Breath Pauses

Structure

Step 1: Why Do Poets Break Lines?

In a story, words go all the way to the edge of the page. In a poem, YOU decide where each line stops. A line break makes the reader pause and wonder what comes next!

Regular Story (No Breaks):

I slowly reached out and turned the brass handle with cold hands.

Poem (Suspense Breaks!):

I reached out.
Cold brass.
I turned...

Step 2: The Slash Test (Slice the Sentence!)

Draw 3 slash marks (/) where you want the reader to take a breath:

The dark door / opened slowly / revealing a sudden light / right before my eyes.

Step 3: Write a 4-Line Suspense Poem

Write short lines so each line holds one powerful picture. Use the lines below:

Line 1:

Line 2:

Line 3:

Line 4:

Breath Test: Read your 4 lines aloud. Did you pause at the end of each line? If yes, give yourself a check! [ ✓ ]

Name:                                Date:                     

Supported Edition

Day 5

My Masterpiece: Final Poetry Celebration

Synthesis

What Did I Learn This Week? (Check Each Box)

[ ✓ ] 5 Senses (Day 1)

[ ✓ ] Noise Words (Day 2)

[ ✓ ] Metaphors (Day 3)

My Final Polished Poem

Poem Title: ___________________________

Write your best 5 or 6 lines neatly on the lines below:

By: _______________________________ (Student Poet)

My Artist Statement

1. The sense I used best was:

2. I want the reader to feel:

Peer Glow Slip

A classmate will write their favorite line from your poem here:

"Your best line was..."