Illustrated Sky Poem Assignment

Directions: Write and illustrate a poem about the day or night sky. The poem can be in any form you choose, but it must be at least 75 words and three stanzas long. It should also incorporate at least three poetic devices. The first draft of your poem is due on _____________. After I edit your rough draft and return it to you, you will make revisions and type it. The second draft is due on ___________.





Helpful Hints for Writing Successful Sky Poems

1. Brainstorm a list of powerful words to use in your poem.

2. Go outside and observe the sky. Record your observations.

3. Reread Sandburg’s sky poems and check out some of the poems
written by last year’s students. The best student poems are posted
on the Sky Poetry Page at: CSMS Student-Authored Sky Poetry
(http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/student_poems.html)

4. Review your list of poetry terms (metaphor, simile, etc.) and make sure that you have
incorporated at least four them into your poem (see rubric on the back of this page).

5. Be original. The stars have already been compared to diamonds. Try to think of a
more unique metaphor.

6. Edit your poem for grammar, spelling and punctuation. Poets are allowed to
break some of these rules, but if your poem does not make sense, it will
be marked down!

7. Read your poem out loud. If your poem sounds more like a short story than
a poem, then you might consider breaking it down into shorter lines.