Ever since I was a little kid, I have loved to write poetry! It probably started with reading nursery rhymes and then transcended into angsty teen poetry. Now, as an English teacher, I enjoy teaching and analyzing various types of poetry! I also try to make my lessons very accessible and engaging as we step into writing poetry. A simple way to ease students into the process of writing poetry is by modeling an I Am Poem Example and using a template!
Never feel like you have to start with the greats: Shakespeare, Byron, Angelou, Hughes, etc.
Instead, start with simplicity!
Keep reading for an I Am Poem Example and 5 Unique Activities!
Need help with Test Prep? Check out this FREE Pack of 3 Test Prep Activities to help students achieve success on standardized tests!
Want to help your upper middle and high school students personally connect to poetry with a not-so-typical I AM POEM template? Check out this poetry activities pack to guide your students in poetry analysis, assist students with self-reflection in an engaging getting to know you worksheet, and aid in producing poetry writing with EASE!
See below for how to teach an I Am Poem and an I Am Not Poem!
I Am Poem Example
The penultimate I Am Poem Example should be this one by Ella Wheeler Wilcox! It helps set the stage for a more in-depth version of an I Am Poem! It focuses on the self, but more so on what we as humans can bring to the world.
Start by reading the poem below!
I Am by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I know not whence I came,
I know not whither I go;
But the fact stands clear that I am here
In this world of pleasure and woe.
And out of the mist and murk,
Another truth shines plain.
It is in my power each day and hour
To add to its joy or its pain.
I know that the earth exists,
It is none of my business why.
I cannot find out what it’s all about,
I would but waste time to try.
My life is a brief, brief thing,
I am here for a little space.
And while I stay I would like, if I may,
To brighten and better the place.
The trouble, I think, with us all
Is the lack of a high conceit.
If each man thought he was sent to this spot
To make it a bit more sweet,
How soon we could gladden the world,
How easily right all wrong.
If nobody shirked, and each one worked
To help his fellows along.
Cease wondering why you came —
Stop looking for faults and flaws.
Rise up to day in your pride and say,
I am part of the First Great Cause!
However full the world
There is room for an earnest man.
It had need of me or I would not be,
I am here to strengthen the plan.
I Am NOT Poem Example
I love this twist on a typical I Am Poem Example! Instead, we have an I AM NOT Poem by Kristin Menke that your upper middle and high school students will easily understand and relate to!
I Am Not by Kristin Menke
I am not someone you think of
when you think of someone cool
I don’t have that appeal some have
when they go back to school
I am not the smart kid in the room
I hide beneath my hood
I sure don’t want to sit and read
even if I should
I am not the peppy kid
I don’t have that much fun
I am not the athlete
Who will run and run and run
I am not the scientist
Who peers beneath the glass
To log every minute speck
Nah, I’ll take a pass
I am not the guy who takes
the stage in some spotlight
and sings a pretty Broadway tune
I’d die of sudden fright
I am not the girl who dresses
like those in my scroll
I am not the one who leers
and becomes a keyboard troll
I am not the one who has
all the feels on the first day
Or listens to the chatter
which repels me I must say
I am not the one who sticks out
to anyone at all
And I promise it’s okay
I’m satisfied to stay small
Want more poetry activity ideas? Check out How to Write About Poetry in 5 Worthwhile Ways!
5 Unique Activities
1. Poetry Analysis In My Own Words
Let’s face it. Poetry can be tough! Even though I studied poetry in college, I still sometimes struggle with reading and understanding certain poems, especially those written hundreds of years ago.
To help our students, we can work with them to break down lines within poems and write them in their own words!
See this example for the I Am Poem Example by Ella Wheeler Wilcox!
Stanza 1:
I know not whence I came,
I know not whither I go;
But the fact stands clear that I am here
In this world of pleasure and woe.
And out of the mist and murk,
Another truth shines plain.
It is in my power each day and hour (1)
To add to its joy or its pain. (2)
LINE 1-Ex. I have the ability all of the time
LINE 2-Ex. to make life happy or painful
You could also have students write the OPPOSITE meaning in their own words:
LINE 1-Ex. I have no ability anytime
LINE 2-Ex. to take away happiness or suffering
Click HERE to get readymade activities for this I Am Poem Example!
2. Write 1-Sentence Summaries
If your students need help capturing the major ideas in each stanza of a poem, try using 1-sentence summaries!
For the I Am Poem Example (NOT) by Kristin Menke, check out this example for stanza 1:
I am not someone you think of
when you think of someone cool
I don’t have that appeal some have
when they go back to school
1-Sentence Summary: Ex. The speaker of the poem does see himself/herself as the cool kid at school.
Super simple, effective, and relevant!
3. Brainstorming for an I Am Poem Example
Instead of students brainstorming for a typical I Am Poem Example, why not put a twist on it? Ask about what your students are NOT!
See the example below!
You could cover their not-so-favorite subjects, pastimes, hopes, and fears! Keep it interesting and basic at the same time, so they will be ready to write their I Am Not Poem!
4. I Am Poem Example Template
After reading the above poems by Wilcox and Menke, students can work on writing their own poems!
They can free-wheel it, use the poems as models, OR use this I Am Poem Template!
5. Visualization Organizers
If you have never had your students visualize a poem, why not have your kiddos visualize their own I Am Poem Example!
They can create a movie poster, a comic strip, or a scene based on a certain part. As long as students use textual evidence for the foundation of their visuals, they are good to go!
Need an I am Poem Example and other poetry activities? Check out my store Kristin Menke-Integrated ELA Test Prep!
