What we notice about poetry

Characteristics of good poetry observed by students in class:
They are complicated.
They're like stories.
The words create a picture.
They create images.
They rhyme.
They see life in a different way.
They express emotions.
You can feel what they're saying.
Uses metaphors, similes, and other figurative language.
It's written from the first-person perspective.
Includes details.
Readers can connect to it.
It has a message.
It's easy to read it smoothly.
It's inspirational.
It flows.
It has a meaning to it.
Sometimes it doesn't make sense.
It has different settings.
It has different meanings.
It has rhythm.
It's easy to understand by the way they say.
It uses complex vocabulary.
They come from the heart.
I can read it.

Qualities of contest-winning poems observed by students in class:
The poems rhyme.
They use good words.
They use real-life events.
They use rhythm and rhyme.
They stay on track with the topic.
They're broken into stanzas.
They express their feelings.
They're creative.
They use imagination.
They used their own personal experiences- used the word "I".
They used words from the heart.
They expressed more clearly.
It includes the name of the contest.
They were original.
Not all of them rhymed, but they made sense.
They stayed on topic.
They used their five senses.
It connects with the reader.
It came from the heart.
The poet used their life experiences.