How to Write a Self Reflection Poem

There are times when so many emotions may well up inside of you that you feel like you're going to explode. You may feel ecstatic, overwhelmed, shocked, terrified, fanatical, angry or several of these emotions all at once. At times like these, it is important to take some time to sort out your emotions and express them. One way of doing this is through a self-reflection poem.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pen or Pencil

Instructions

1. First, write freely for five minutes about how you are feeling. Do not erase anything, and try not to edit yourself mentally while you are writing. Do not worry about grammar, spelling or even clarity. Just let your thoughts flow through your fingers onto the paper.

2. To organize your thoughts from Step 1, you may want to make a web. Draw a circle on a piece of paper and write a word that best describes how you feel in it. Draw lines that extend from the circle and pull phrases from your freewriting exercise that would fit best in your web. Soon, you might start to see a loose pattern between clusters of phrases.

3. Draft your poem. Select details from Step 2 you think will best convey your emotion to the reader.

4. Read the poem to a friend or mentor and ask for feedback. Listen to their opinions and decide if you wish to revise your poem.

5. Leave your poem in a drawer for a day or two and then come back and look at it again. When you're not in the heat of the emotion, can you feel the emotion anyway as you read what you wrote? Revise your poem accordingly.

Tips & Warnings

• When considering feedback from others, remember that the poem is yours. You can choose to accept feedback or reject it, since only you know how you truly feel.

• If you have written negatively about someone else, make sure to keep your poem secure.

Resources

• Additional Information about Poetry
• Scholastic's Poetry Site