We often hear about poems, due to some of us having to learn about them, or it just being a major form of literature that has existed for a very long time. Some of us might think of Shakespeare’s “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?”. Many people write to send a message through their writing or even to spread ideas about social issues, throughout history poems were used to bring attention to a particular case and to speak to people directly using their feelings instead of bombarding them with facts or dates. Also, poetry allows you to express yourself in a way other forms of literature may not be able to, allowing endless possibilities for things to write about.

But did you know that many authors have used poetry to create novel, for example Yusef Salaam’s “Punching the Air.” By telling a story using poetry, it allows the reader to have more of an emotional impact and provides the readers to feel more empathy.

There are many different types of poetry allowing it to be a vast genre, for example there are: narrative poems, haiku, villanelle, sonnets, ghazals, odes and more, it is almost endless.

If you feel that a novel written in verse will appeal to you here are some I recommend: Clap When you Land Elizabeth Acevedo, The Girl Who Became a Tree Joseph Coelho, Punching the Air Yusef Salaam. These are all found in the school library. If none of these appeal to you I am sure there will be a topic you like!

Written by Luxman Aravindan