Arts >> Art >> Pop Art

How to Write a Poem Generator

Poem generators have become a recognizable in-home form of pop or postmodern art since the 1990s. Generally, they consist of a random collection of words that can be easily rearranged to create a short poem. The forms vary, but the most common is a magnetic poem generator to stick on the refrigerator. In "How to Write a Poem," Margaret Ryan notes that most poems "are simply a grammatical collection of basic sentence parts" infused with specific images and feelings. Children and adults alike will rejoice at the ease with which they can create a simple but effective piece of writing.

Things You'll Need

  • Blank cardstock
  • Large magnetic strip
  • Permanent marker
  • Fast-acting adhesive
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut the cardstock into small squares about an inch high and three to four inches wide. The size can vary, but typically the words used are fairly small.

    • 2

      Create a list of 40 to 50 useful words for the poem generator, including articles like "the," "an" and "a." Add several actionable verbs such as "fly" or "flying" and "laugh" or "laughing," and multiple subjects like "I," "we," "they" and "it."

    • 3

      Write a word on each piece of cardstock. Some of the simpler articles can be used more than once. Cut the magnetic strip into small squares to fit the cardstock. Each word will need its own magnet.

    • 4

      Glue the cardstock to the proper size magnets with a fast-acting adhesive such as Super Glue. Let them dry for about an hour.

    • 5

      Mix up all the pieces in a small bag or on a table. Pick out a handful of words and stick them to the refrigerator in a proper order to create a short poem.

    • 6

      Rearrange the words and include others periodically to create new poems.

+:
+:

Pop Art

Related Categories