Reading Comprehension - Poetry: Are These Really Poems?

Perhaps up to now you have found poems a little boring or way too hard to understand. Either way, you have decided that you do not like poems. Well, there are those poems that can be confusing, some are really long winded and some are, you’ll have to admit, downright funny. But I bet there are poems that you didn’t realize were poems. In fact, when you look ahead you’ll be thinking, “Are these really poems?” Well, the answer is yes so let’s look at some very interesting types of poems.

Explorer Poetry - An explorer poem is a poem that details the journey of an explorer, including their acts of searching and traveling. The poem will include the date and information of what was discovered. Verses do tend to rhyme and there are generally 8-10 lines in the poem but it can be shorter. An example of explorer poetry is:

In July of 1969

Neil Armstrong took a giant leap for mankind

When his boot hit the surface of the moon

and sparked further journeys that would come soon.

First Apollo 8, then Apollo 11

Did Mr. Armstrong know he would become a legend?

On every radio, on every corner, the news swirled

This man walking on the moon had changed the world.

Lie Poetry - Now this is a type of poetry that nearly everyone loves! In a lie poem nearly each and every line contains an outrageous lie! There is no set limit to the number of lines or the number of lies. An example of a lie poetry is:

I went to the moon on my vacation

Where I played video games with two aliens.

Harry and Jacker were their names.

They ate rocks for dinner which was very strange.

I brought them back to Earth to meet my dad Mark.

Then we went skydiving and swam with sharks.

Then I bought a jet and we went to Brazil

Where we ate lunch with the President, and I paid the bill.

Then it started raining candy, which was a real treat.

I had so much fun I didn’t sleep for a week!

I Wish Poetry - An “I Wish” poetry is where every line of the poem, usually 8 to 10 lines, begins with the words “I wish.” The poem does not have to rhyme. An example of an “I Wish” poem is:

I wish I could swim.

I wish I had an older sister.

I wish I had no homework to do.

I wish I knew how to bake a cake.

I wish I could fly like a bird.

I wish there were no homeless people.

I wish my mommy did not have to work so hard.

I wish Christmas could be every day!

Monster Poetry - Just as you would guess, monster poetry brings life to imaginary monsters using sensory imaging. It is also between 8 and 10 lines long, describes the monster and what it looks like, what it does, and the poem does not have to rhyme. An example of monster poetry is:

Meet my Rooty-Tooty Very Fruity Monster

His eyes are made of juicy grapes

And his hair is banana peels.

When he smiled that watermelon smile

You’ll see 23 rows of bright red cherries for teeth.

He has a Granny Smith apple head

On a pear-shaped body.

Ripe pineapple arms made for picking up 100 lb. bowls of fruit

Shoveling them in his mouth

And dancing with joy on his two orange feet.

Third Eye Poetry - Third eye poetry are poems that describe unseen or unnoticed things, events or moments. They do not have to rhyme. An example of a third eye poem is as follows:

The third eye sees when Johnny passed the note to Tom.

The third eye sees you talking while the teacher is teaching.

The third eye sees when Lisa hit Amy at recess and said she did not.

The third eye sees the wall you are about to walk into.

The third eye sees you putting that whoopie cushion on Lucy’s chair.

The third eye sees when you said you were sick to get out of class.

The third eye sees all!