Blurb Poem
Josh was born on a rainy day
in the autumn of 1986.
Josh went to nursery,
then to school,
then to another school,
then to university.
His life was quite boring until,
one day, he decided to become…
A POET!
Find out what happened when Josh
made this life-changing decision!
Marvel at the way he rhymes
‘hug it’ with ‘chicken nugget’!
Gasp as he attempts to live
on nothing but Pot Noodles
and compliments!
Can he do it?
“I didn’t even know poetry was a proper job” –
Josh’s mum.
.....................................................................
I was inspired to come up with this workshop for one very simple reason: I like the word 'blurb'. It sounds like a cross between a blub and a burp. Blurb. A ridiculous word for a serious thing.
Blurbs are basically the descriptions on the back of books, designed to encourage people to buy them. The challenge in this workshop is for pupils to write blurbs of their own lives. Here are some possible steps to go through:
- read some examples of real blurbs. Make a list of what makes them persuasive/interesting.
- pupils make a like of three or four crucial things about themselves, things that are very important to who they are. These can be memories or aspects of personality.
- pupils can use the blurb format to make their lives sound interesting and exciting.
- my own poem, above, can be used as a model. Note the 'exciting' words ('marvel', 'gasp'), the use of suspense ("can he do it?") and the quote and the end. Enjoy!
