Argues that students can be made more aware of language used in the "real" world by introducing them to figures of speech. (MS)

Discusses four poems by William Carlos Williams used to teach creative writing to college students. Uses "Portrait of a Woman in Red" and "The Last Words of My English Grandmother" because they contain speakers who are clearly not the poet, which gives undergraduate students opportunities to discuss details Williams uses to…

Metaphors, figures of speech of one sort or another, similes, and analogies are not strangers to technical writing. Four exercises that seem typical of most technical writing syllabi and that seem appropriate points for the introduction of students to metaphors and other figures are (1) a technical description, which requires the student to…

Describes three methods used by researchers to elicit original metaphors and similes: structured tasks using poetry ideas, definitions and models, and supporting the thesis of a paper. (CRH)

Suggests a series of exercises designed to help students see the value of concrete writing, to help give new life to metaphors, and to encourage concrete evaluations of abstractions. (TJ)

Presents a three-part exercise that deals with poetic excess: heightened exaggeration of deliberately conflicting ideas. States that part 1 deals with hyperbole, part 2 with paradox, and part 3 with combining hyperbole and paradox in a single poem. Gives examples of students' poems using the technique. (PA)

Suggests clustering can help students of any ability level draw upon latent images and ideas, generate more original sentences, and experiment with metaphor and simile. (MS)

Provides a step-by-step approach to teaching students the elements of poetry, such as similes, acrostics, metaphors, and odes. Copies of handouts are included. (HTH)

Aims for students to explore spontaneous ways of finding material for their poems by suppressing control over their subject matter and letting their unconscious minds do the work. Uses a poem of William Carlos Williams, "Red Wheelbarrow," both with K-2 students and adults in a poetry workshop. Illustrates class procedures and activities…

Designed with junior high school students in mind, the activities in this booklet are offered as ways to stimulate interest in writing using as little as ten minutes of class time. The activities are arranged in six sections: (1) developing observation skills and paying attention to details; (2) word play, descriptive words, and word collections…