Write a list of the retiring person's accomplishments in his field. Describe qualities that best define him and his attitude toward work.
Write down a job-related activity that he did on a regular basis. For example, if he was a postman, describe him unloading mail or delivering letters on his route. Add as much detail as possible to create a vivid picture.
List ideas for things the person can do in retirement. Describe leisure activities or adventures he has planned.
Write down anxieties or emotions he has regarding his retirement. If he is happy, nostalgic or anxious, describe why and how the emotion reveals itself in his actions and conversation.
Choose a metrical pattern and rhyme scheme for the poem. If you choose to write a specific form such as a sonnet, you must adhere to the form's 14-line, iambic pentameter structure and, for an English sonnet, an abab cdcd efef gg rhyme scheme, in which the first and third lines rhyme, the second and fourth lines rhyme, etc. If you would like to write in quatrains of four stresses per line (tetrameter), choose an abxb rhyme scheme, leaving the first and third lines of each stanza nonrhymed to provide a bit of variation. If you are not comfortable using rhyme, use blank verse (nonrhymed iambic pentameter).
Begin the poem with an image of the person in the middle of the typical, work-related activity that you described earlier. Illustrate this activity in the first stanza using your senses. What does it look like, sound like, feel like? Pay attention to your meter and line breaks. Lines should have meaning within the context of other lines as well as on their own as individual units.
Describe the retiring person's emotions in the next stanza. Explain how he feels, using concrete gestures and images that show rather than tell a reader the subject's emotional state. For example, if he or she is sad, describe his or her facial expressions or the way he looks at something.
Use each subsequent stanza to describe a different aspect of the retiring person's situation and personality. In your final stanza (depending on the form and number of stanzas you chose, its placement will vary), show what lies ahead for the retiring person. Use images and active verbs to explain leisure activities and adventures that await him after retirement. End the poem with an image that evokes a sense of peace and serenity.