Songs are great poems to use as models. This is an example I’ve shared in the past but it is still one of my favorites. It’s modeled on the song called SECRETS by One Republic. You can read the lyrics to the song here.
Here’s my poem modeled on the song.
I NEED
I need to know
that getting up in the morning
matters to the world
to someone other than the man
who matters so much to me,
the man who may not understand
why I need to know
that I matter at all.
You can tell me
it shouldn’t matter
but it does.
You can tell me
I matter in ways
I may not understand
in so many ways I can
only hope to believe
But I need to know
the kind of knowing that comes
from some place deep inside
some place I don’t reside
I want to run and hide because
what I fear is the world
discovering
uncovering
pieces of soul
I don’t want the world to see
what I fear
is that what I need
matters too much to me
–Susan Taylor Brown, all rights reserved.
Your turn. If there’s a song you feel drawn to, search for the lyrics online and then try to model a poem based on that song. Good luck!
That last stanza, very thrown out to the world, “inside, reside, run and hide” and “discovering, uncovering”. I like it, Susan.
Thank you, Linda. This was a fun one.
Susan, I’m enjoying your “In the style of…” poetry project. I’ve paired song lyrics and poetry many times with my middle school students. They love it and come up with some amazing poems. I love “Secrets” and your poem is so good! I’m glad I subscribed to your blog!
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Thanks, Linda. Would love to know some of the songs you have found worked well with middle school students. I’m always looking to add more ideas to my files.
LET ME COLOUR MY WORLD
Colour my world
Set me free
From the darkness
Engulfing me
Let me see light
Through different eyes
The brightest blue
Of our wondrous skies
Let me hear birds
Within luscious trees
To finally see the green
That the whole world sees
Let me feel the sand
Beneath my toes
The golden wonder
To forget my woes
Let me smell the flowers
Each unique fragrance
I know I can
If I had a chance
Let me open my eyes
In this new light
To see my new world
And make everything right
Just colour my world
– Anne McKenna
I really like the way you used the repetition in this one, Anne. It does feel like a song.