A few weeks ago the Sunday Night Swaggers, my online writing group, posted a new form created by poet and teacher Heidi Mordhorst, the definito: a free verse poem of 8-12 lines that uses word play to define a word. The word is the last line of the poem.
I introduced the form to my students. Every Friday we are deconstructing poetry and writing our own. We name and mark poetic elements. This activity inspired me to write definitos about poetic terms. I am sharing three of them today, alliteration, imagery, and personification.
Margaret Simon, drafts, 2019
Letters, linked
and lively,
Lindy-hopping on the page
Notice how
some sounds repeat
Tongue twister
Word sister
…alliteration.
Make a movie
in your mind
Imagine all
that tastes, feels, sounds–
hands gripping,
feet slipping,
Writers show me
how to see
with imagery.
If the wind waves
If flowers wink
If hummingbirds tell a tale.
A thing you know
A thing you love
becomes a person
real and alive
walking across the page
personification.
Reflections on the Teche 
Love all of your “definitos,” especially:
Tongue twister
Word sister
…alliteration.
What a great way to explain these devices!
I too love all your ‘definitos’ especially the alliteration one. ‘lindy-hopping’ is delightful!
This is fabulous! Alliteration! Wow to /tongue twisters, word sisters/. I bet your students like these and I want to try some definitos. Thank you to Heidi for her invention of this form.
Janet Clare F.
These are fantastic! Nothing can beat lindy-hopping alliteration! That’s the best one.
Oh my, how wonderful, Margaret. Your students must love them, too! I adore “Tongue twister
Word sister”. Perfect!
These are so very cool, Margaret. I want to be in your class again and again! x
Oh, well done with these. Clever and fun.
How clever of you to write definitos about poetic devices! I’m especially fond of alliteration!
What a great assignment! I love your examples! Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
I love these! What a clever way to make those poetry terms memorable. My favorite is the one on alliteration. It’s such fun to read aloud.
Those letters lindy-hopping on the page caught my attention. I can’t wait to read some of your students’ definitos.
Margaret, you have three great definitos. I see you added a dance word into your alliteration poem that lifts off the page. Word sister is clever. I agree with everyone but I also like the imagery poem. You captured the essence of each word.
Very cool!
I love the poems, especially “alliteration” and am glad to have learned about Heidi’s form. “word sister”- love that image.
[…] poems from a prompt on the first Friday of the month. Last month Heidi Mordhorst challenged us to definito poems. This month Catherine Flynn prompted us to write about a […]