Pantoum poems are an ancient Indonesian verse form, which consist of four stanzas with lines set up as follows: 1-2-3-4, 2-5-4-6, 5-7-6-8, 1-7-8-3. Because the lines are repeated, the poem has a lovely flow.  The trick to writing a good pantoum poem is writing lines that will nicely go both before and after adjacent lines.  Line 3 is especially important because it will also be the last line of the poem.  You may choose to write the lines in any order.  Mrs. Bush will share some examples with you in class.  Then you’re your own in the space below.  (Visit http://www.windchimewalker.net/-webpages/pantoums.html for more examples.  For some reason her lines are in a different order.)

1

2

3*

4

2

5

4

6

5

7

6

8

1

7

8

3*