It’s National Poetry Day 2022 which is of course my FAVOURITE day of the year – everything is poetry!
So here is my poem for National Poetry Day 2022 this year, as a shape poem. The otter poem is also available on the National Poetry Day website as words!
Otters were almost extinct in the 50s and have made a bit of a comeback with a concerted effort to clean up rivers and riverbanks, where they live, hunt and breed. They cannot live in dirty rivers – so the recent news of raw sewage being discharged into our waterways is not good news for the otter.
Below is a film my husband made of me reading my otter shape poem.
Perhaps you’d like to write a poem about an animal yourself?
I started by reading all about otters, and their lives – otters were very endangered but recently their numbers have increased due to rivers being cleaned up.
I often draw the animal I am about to write about – it helps me think as I am trying to come up with what I am going to say in my poem.
My next stage was to think of words that could describe things about otters – their eyes and thick, shiny fur, the way they walk, how they swim and catch prey. I watched some videos online. There is nothing like seeing the animal moving to give you ideas!
I suggest writing down all the words and grouping them together in different ways – using alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhyme etc. You don’t have to rhyme, in fact it’s better not to as then you can really think about the words and what sounds well together – but words that sound similar in rhythm or syllables are helpful.
If you do find two words that rhyme, even in an un-rhyming poem, they can be used to create a satisfying end.
Have a lovely National Poetry Day!
Poetry Roundabout 