Poets craft their words with thoughtful precision. Consequently, poems constructed with sentences provide interesting models for image grammar. With this strategy, you must first find a short poem consisting of one to four sentences, a poem that contains some interesting image grammar techniques. Excellent examples can be found in any anthology, but a few recommended poems include Carl Sandburg’s "Fog," Langston Hughes' "The Dream Keeper," Anne Sexton’s "Welcome Morning," Robert Frost’s "The Rabbit-Hunt," Alfred Lord Tennyson’s "The Eagle," and John Haines’ "Wolves."

          Once you have located some models, have students create their own poem, imitating the sentence structure of an original. For models, show students the following two examples: one based on Sandburg's "Fog" and created by teacher Mike Fejes, the second written by one of Mike's students, Elizabeth Hunsberger, and based on the sentence structure of Hughes' "Dream Keeper."

Lightning
by Mike Fejes

The lightning sizzles in
on dragon wings.
It spears the night
stabbing building and house
with bony white legs and talons
then dissolves in the darkness.



Wish Keeper
by Elizabeth Hunsberger

Bring me all of your hopes
Believers
Bring me all of your
Trusting faith
That I may wrap it
In a blanket of sky
A new wish comes true
With every falling star