Portrait Poem #1
from Art Belliveau
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
I am (first name)
Son/Daughter of (I've also used brother/sister of...)
Who needs , ,
Who loves , ,
Who sees , ,
Who hates , ,
Who fears , ,
Who dreams of , ,
Who has found poems of
Resident of (I've seen people list here everything from their address to "the small blue green planet third from the sun")
(last name)
Portrait Poem #1 Example
I am Art
Son of Barbara
Who needs time, sleep, exercise
Who loves his wife, his job, his family
Who sees sunsets, both sides, poetry everywhere
Who hates ignorance, apathy, hatred
Who fears failure, success, mediocrity
Who dreams of successful students, published poems, time enough
Who has found poems of anger
Resident of Alabama
Belliveau
Portrait Poem #2
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
I AM Poem
FIRST STANZA
I am (two special characteristics you have)
I wonder (something you are actually curious about)
I hear (an imaginary sound)
I see (an imaginary sight)
I want (an actual desire)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
SECOND STANZA
I pretend (something you actually pretend to do)
I feel (a feeling about something imaginary)
I touch (an imaginary touch)
I worry (something that really bothers you)
I cry (something that makes you very sad)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
THIRD STANZA
I understand (something you know is true)
I say (something you believe in)
I dream (something you actually dream about)
I try (something you really make an effort about)
I hope (something you actually hope for)
I am (the first line of the poem repeated)
Portrait Poem #2 Example
I AM
I am a nutty guy who likes dolphins.
I wonder what I, and the world, will be like in the year 2000.
I hear silence pulsing in the middle of the night.
I see a dolphin flying up to the sky.
I want the adventure of life before it passes me by.
I am a nutty guy who likes dolphins.
I pretend that I'm the ruler of the world.
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.
I touch the sky, the stars, the moon, and all the planets as
representatives of mankind.
I worry about the devastation of a nuclear holocaust.
I cry for all the death and poverty in the world
I am a nutty guy who likes dolphins.
I understand the frustration of not being able to do something easily.
I say that we are all equal.
I dream of traveling to other points on the earth.
I try to reach out to poor and starving children.
I hope that mankind will be at peace and not die out.
I am a nutty guy who likes dolphins.
--SANDY MAAS
Portrait Poem #2 Example
I AM
I am a hard working teacher who loves to laugh
I wonder how my students will do this year
I hear their brains clicking
I see the light in their eyes
I want them to want to succeed
I am a hard working teacher who loves to laugh
I pretend I am always in control
I feel like I’m swimming in quicksand sometimes
I touch the hearts and minds of others
I worry that I am not good enough
I cry when one of my family is in pain
II am a hard working teacher who loves to laugh
I understand I cannot save everyone ignorance and apathy
I say I still need to try
I dream of being the best teacher I can be
I try to make my classes interesting
I hope I never stop caring
I am a hard working teacher who loves to laugh
--Art Belliveau
Portrait Poem #3
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
Follow these steps:
Remember to end the first and last lines with a period (. )End all
other lines with a comma (, ). All first letters of each line are
capitalized.
Line 1 Write your first name.
Line 2 Write four (4) words about you,
Line 3 Write Brother or Sister of and then list your brother or sister's
name, (If you don't have brothers or sisters, write no one.)
Line 4 Write Lover of and then three (3) things you love,
Line 5 Write Who feels and then three (3) things and how you feel about
them,
Line 6 Write Who needs and then three (3) things you need,
Line 7 Write Who gives and then three (3) things you give others,
Line 8 Write Who fears and then three (3) things that scare you,
Line 9 Write Who would like to see and three (3) things you want to see,
Line 10 Write Resident of and then the city you live in, then your street
name,
Line 11 Write your last name.
That’s it! You've created your own poem. Congratulations!
Portrait Poem #3 Examples
Carol.
Busy, tired, mother and teacher,
Sister of Bill,
Lover of children, animals, and a happy classroom,
Who feels joy when reading, power when riding, and sore
muscles at day's end,
Who needs laughter, pets, and flowers,
Who gives help, love, and praise,
Who fears dragons, big bugs, and gaining weight,
Who would like to see everyone succeed, wars end forever, and a cure for A.I.D.'s,
Resident of Deerfield, Aspen,
Krimm.
Art.
Husband, teacher, poet, friend,
Brother of Bob,
Lover of knowledge, reading, and seventh graders,
Who feels rushed, out of breath, and like he'll never catch up,
Who needs a cure for allergies, beagles, and being married,
Who gives help, encouragement, laughter,
Who fears failure, success, mediocrity,
Who would like to see successful students, better attitudes, and global sanity,
Resident of Phenix City
Belliveau
Portrait Poem #4
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
The piece should be ten lines long, and should begin and end:
I am .
In between, write four truthful statements about yourself and four lies. The idea is to mix them up so that telling truth from fiction may be difficult. Make the lies believable: we know you aren't ten feet tall and that you don't have an NBA contract. Also don't directly contradict yourself. If you say you are twelve in one line and that you are fourteen in another line, we will know that one of these is a lie.
Portrait Poem #4 Examples
I am Paula Jones.
I am sixteen years old.
I ride wild stallions.
I collect foreign coins.
My sister has six fingers on her left hand.
My mother and I always get along.
Time has stood still for me.
An arsonist destroyed my home.
My father is a mole in the CIA.
I am Paula Jones.
I am Art Belliveau.
I love to teach seventh grade.
My wedding was at the Renaissance Festival in Atlanta.
I collect refrigerator magnets.
I wrestled in high school.
I have had two poems published.
I have seen the Northern Lights.
Summertime throws me completely off schedule.
I want to be a famous piano player.
I am Art Belliveau
Portrait Poem #5
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
This is one developed at Sun Belt Writing Project by Art Belliveau. It’s called the “Who Am I?” Poem.
The first line is “Who am I?”
Then skip a line and write “I am...”
On the next five lines write down family relationships (see example).
Then skip a line and write “I am...”
On the next four lines write down “job titles” that describe you (see example).
Then skip a line and write “I am...”
On the next three lines write a word that physically describes you.
Then skip a line and write “I am...”
On the next two lines write down a characteristic of yours (see example).
Then skip a line and write “I am...”
And finally the word “me.”
Portrait Poem #5 Examples
Who Am I?
I am...
Kimberli's beau
Dixie's son
Ruth's grandson
Cyndi's brother
CoreyAnn's uncle
I am...
a teacher
a poet
a writer
a reader
I am...
overweight
fuzzy
balding
I am...
eccentric
determined
I am...
me
Ryk Stanton
Who Am I?
I am...
Sarah's husband
Barbara's son
Margie's grandson
Bob's brother
Sean-Micheal's uncle
I am...
a teacher
a reader
a writer
a net surfer
I am...
tall
heavy
hairy
I am...
humorous
curious
I am...
me
--Art Belliveau
Portrait Poem #6
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
This poem has definite structure and must be followed carefully.
L1- first name
L2 - four adjectives that describe you
L3 - tells where you are in your family and gives your parents' names
L4 - names three things you like
L5 - tells how you feel
L6 - tells what you are afraid of
L7 - tells what you would like to see
L8 - last name
Portrait Poem #6 Examples
Ryk--
intelligent, curious, witty, poetic,
firstborn son of Richard Sr. and Dixie,
likes comic books, green Kool-Aid, and The Monkees,
feels happy almost all of the time,
afraid of growing old and dying alone in the dark,
would like to see daybreak from Saturn--
Stanton
Art--
rushed, fun-loving, laid back, intelligent,
firstborn son of Barbara,
likes reading, surfing the net, and old movies,
feels under pressure right now,
afraid of not being a good enough teacher,
would like to see his book get published--
Belliveau
Portrait Poem #7
Poetry deals with the emotions, just as music. An autobiographical poem is personal—it reveals something about the person writing the poem. It does not have to rhyme. Below is a simple plan to write your own autobiographical poem. Just follow the steps and—before you know it—it’s done.
Just Because...
Just because I'm
Doesn't mean
Doesn't mean
And doesn't mean
Just because
Doesn't mean
Doesn't mean
Doesn't mean
Just because
Doesn't mean
Doesn't mean
Doesn't mean
Just because
(Question)
(Question)
(Question)
(Statement)
Portrait Poem #7 Examples
Just because I'm half Japanese
I'm not a California roll
I'm not a Sony TV or radio
I'm not a Toyota or a Nissan
Just because I'm half Japanese
I don't like being considered one race
I do like being considered a Jew
I'm not a "mixed up person"
Just because I'm half Japanese
I do like things that you do like to do
I do like and play basketball
Just because I'm half Japanese
What is race?
Is there a thing called race?
Can't you just like me because I'm me?
I think so.
Just because I'm Indian,
Doesn't mean I work at seven-eleven,
Doesn't mean I have an accent,
And doesn't mean I wear a dot on my forehead.
Just because I'm Indian,
Doesn't mean I'm poor,
Doesn't mean there are cows roaming down my street,
And beggars in front of my door.
Just because I'm Indian,
Doesn't mean I'm unsanitary,
Doesn't mean I'm anorexic,
And looking for a cure.
Just because I'm Indian,
Why should anyone care?
What is the difference?
What is life without variety?
Just because I'm Indian.
Portrait Poem #8
I was... (a series follows describing yourself as a
younger child)
I am... (here the series describes you as you are
now)
Example:
I was...
different
lost
confused
awkward
scared
alone & lonely
alienated
hurting
volcanic
seething beneath the surface
searching for answers,
without knowing the questions
-Art Belliveau
I am...
iconoclastic
curious
questioning
less unsure of myself
not lonely or alone
calmer
more introspective
less scared
still awkward
reluctant to define myself
searching for valid questions,
believing there are no firm
answers