Journal Entry: Poetry Edition

First Poetry Journal with Graphic Organizer

Throughout the year, we will be reading poetry at home and
journaling about our experiences.

Journaling should be a relatively low-stress activity. However,

you might find that expressing your response to poetry is harder
to do on your own than it is when we do so together as a class.

For this first poetry journal, I’m asking that you use a graphic
organizer to help you collect your thoughts. You can sketch out
some points about the elements of a poem that stand out for you
before continuing to write a 1-2 page journal entry.

But first, use the graphic organizer 1) to record your initial

impressions of a poem; 2) to analyze the poem’s formal
structure; 3) to highlight delectable or delicious lines (any
language you find remarkable); 4) to identify particularly
melodic or sonorous moments in the poem; and 5) to chart
what the poem seems to communicate, present, or conjure.

You will effectively draw out the material you can write about
in your journal entry. The hope is that the journal entry will thus
become more manageable.

What’s more, you can use this same graphic organizer whenever
you’d like as we read poetry throughout the school year.