How to Write a Sense Poem
In a "sense" poem, the writer tries to get across his ideas, theme, or point of view by invoking the senses. The writer hopes to make the reader see through her eyes and to also hear, touch, smell, and perhaps even taste the images she presents. Whether a poem is intended to represent a concrete vision or an abstract idea, using the senses can be an effective method for conveying meaning.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
How to Write a Sense Poem
-
1
Decide on a theme for your poem. You might want to make it a piece of descriptive writing, picturing a scene like a quiet beach or a downtown street during a thunderstorm. With concrete concepts like these, you'll have an easy time coming up with sensory ideas. You might want to use an abstract idea around which to build your poem, such as peace, hope, or sorrow. If so, you will need to decide what images you will use to express that idea.
-
2
Write a prose paragraph saying what you want to get across in your poem. Don't worry about what words you are using or how you are stating your ideas. Just write down what you are trying to convey. Include descriptions of what you are seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting.
-
-
3
Write some comparative phrases--metaphors and similes--to reflect sensory information relevant to your theme. Keep in mind that a simile uses "like" or "as," and that a metaphor does not. Think about what it would feel if you reached out and touched something in the scene. Would you hear any sounds? If so, what can you compare them to?
-
4
Use other kinds of imagery to enhance your description, making references to the senses. For example, a hyperbole is an exaggeration used for effect. "The wind sounded like 300 howling wolves." This is an example incorporating the sense of sound. Another type of imagery is personification, in which human qualities are given to things. In the following example, the sense of smell is used in combination with personification: "The roses generously tossed me their sweet fragrance."
-
5
Arrange your images in an order that pleases you. You might begin with an opening phrase that puts the reader in the scene, then follow with the imagery you created in Steps 3 and 4. Once you have decided on the order, read over the poem and decide if you have gotten across the senses that you intended.
-
1
