List Poem

Basically, a list poem (also known as a catalog poem) is a poem that lists things, whether names, places, actions, thoughts, images, etc. It's a very flexible and fun form to work with.

It’s one of the easiest kinds of poems to write because it requires neither rhythm nor rhyme. But that doesn't mean you should write things down in a haphazard fashion. There are a few elements that make a list poem a poem instead of just a list:

The writer is telling you something or pointing something out
There's a beginning and an end to it, like in a story
Each item in the list is written the same way

Several members of my poetry group shared a list poem at our last meeting. The subjects included things found in the den, food names that don’t sound like food, titles of love poems, and mine:



Cell Phone

Slide it open
Turn it on
Nothing happens
Try again.

Charge it up
Slide it open
Turn it on
Nothing happens
Try again.

Have it activated
Charge it up
Slide it open
Turn it on
Nothing happens
Try again.

Buy a pre-paid service card
Have it activated
Charge it up
Slide it open
Turn it on
Nothing happens
Try again.

Remember pay phones are fifty cents now

Go to the bank
Buy a roll of quarters
Put some in a pocket
Put some in a purse
Don’t leave home
Without them.