Students can learn to write verse by (1) perceiving that poetic materials are inside and all around them and making lists of items that appeal to their senses, (2) organizing their material through the use of imagery, (3) experimenting with various meters, particularly the ballad stanza, until they can arrange words in rhythmic patterns (4) relating rhythms, words, and sounds to the spirit and meaning of their poems, (5) compressing an image into haiku, and (6) developing a class poem and comparing the finished product with a well-known poet's handling of the same theme. In completing these exercises, students develop an awareness of the material and nature of poetry. (JB)