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What you'll learn

  • How a poem is built: title, lines, verses and a repeating line
  • Why poems don't have to rhyme, and what free verse is
  • How precise nouns and powerful verbs change a line's meaning
  • How to write fresh similes using like or as
  • How to follow the patterns of a kenning and a haiku
  • How volume, pace, pauses and actions make a performance clear

Chapter by chapter

  1. Learn from a model poem: title, lines, verses, a repeating line and its best words Free to try

    Years 3–4 english · 1

  2. Choose powerful words: precise nouns, strong verbs and sound words that change the meaning

    Years 5–6 english · 2 Years 3–4 english · 3

  3. Make word pictures with the five senses and fresh similes

    Years 3–4 english · 3 Years 5–6 english · 2

  4. Choose a poem form: free verse, kennings and haiku

    Years 3–4 english · 1 Years 3–4 english · 3

  5. Write your own poem: plan it, say lines aloud, draft and improve

    Years 3–4 english · 3 Years 5–6 english · 2 Years 3–4 english · 1

  6. Perform a poem with volume, tone, pace, pauses and actions so the meaning is clear

    Years 5–6 english · 4

  7. Poetry Slam Challenge: writing and performing poems (10 questions) (10 questions)

See every English chapter in the chapter library

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Years 3–4 english: Plan their writing by: discussing writing similar to that which they are planning to write in order to understand and learn from its structure, vocabulary and grammar
  2. Years 5–6 english: Draft and write by: selecting appropriate grammar and vocabulary, understanding how such choices can change and enhance meaning
  3. Years 3–4 english: Draft and write by: composing and rehearsing sentences orally (including dialogue), progressively building a varied and rich vocabulary and an increasing range of sentence structures (English appendix 2)
  4. Years 5–6 english: Perform their own compositions, using appropriate intonation, volume, and movement so that meaning is clear

About this adventure

How to Write a Poem and Perform It is an interactive game that teaches children aged 7–11, mainly Year 4, how to plan, write and improve a poem of their own, then read it aloud so the meaning is clear.

Guided by Wren, a small bird poet, players study a model poem to spot its title, lines, verses and repeating line. They swap vague words for precise nouns and powerful verbs, try onomatopoeia (words that sound like their noise), and build similes that compare two things using like or as. They meet three poem forms: free verse, kennings (two-word clues such as whale-road for the sea) and haiku, with 5, 7 and 5 syllables.

Players then choose a subject and a form, say each line aloud before writing it, and fix forced rhymes. Finally they practise volume, tone, pace, pauses and actions in front of an animal audience, and perform their own poem.

Questions and answers

How do you write a poem, step by step?

Start by reading a poem you like and noticing how it is built. Choose a subject and a form, collect powerful words, then say each line aloud before writing it down. Finally, read your draft back and change any words that are vague or don't make sense.

Does a poem have to rhyme?

No, a poem does not have to rhyme. Many poems, called free verse, have no fixed rules about rhyme or line length. Rhyme can be fun, but choosing a word only because it rhymes often makes a line that doesn't make sense.

What is a kenning in poetry?

A kenning is a two-word phrase, usually joined by a hyphen, that describes something without naming it. Old English poets called the sea the whale-road and the sun the sky-candle. Children can write a kenning poem as a riddle, such as mouse-catcher for a cat.

What age is this poetry writing game for?

The game is designed for children aged 7 to 11 and is pitched mainly at Year 4. It matches the KS2 English curriculum for planning, drafting and performing writing, and an optional warm-up recaps nouns, verbs and adjectives first.

What does the poetry game include and how long does it take?

It has six chapters and a 10-question Poetry Slam quiz, taking about an hour to play in full. Children can start any chapter from the Poetry Tree map and come back later to carry on where they stopped.

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