Activity: Rewrite a Poem in Story Form

One of the activities that Ruth Beechick advocated was rewriting works from one form to another. Using Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” students are encouraged to envision the scene and then rewrite the poem as a narrative story.

This activity using Robert Frost’s poem is taken from our book, Write Something Every Day: 366 Pencil Sharpeners for Students of Writing.

First, read “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. Do you see the scene with your mind’s eye? Can you envision the path, the horse, and the snow? How would you describe it?

What lies ahead of you?
What would you smell if you were there?
Do you hear anything? If so, what?
How about feeling something (cold air on your skin, the leather of the horse’s rein, etc)?
Any other details you envision or would pick up with your senses if you were there?

Use drawing and writing paper to illustrate the scene and copy a stanza or two.

Next, rewrite this poem as a narrative story, by showing the reader what is happening. Describe in detail the scene you have envisioned.

Younger students can orally narrate the story. If you like, you can write down his words for him to copy.

This and 365 other activities can be found in our book:

Write Something Every Day: 366 Pencil Sharpeners for Students of Writing
Our book will get you started. This huge 554-pg. resource provides carefully crafted writing prompts and challenges for each day. We use nearly 20 different forms of writing to keep the student engaged. Also included are writing instruction, tips for modifying assignments for “younger writers,” and other resources. Learn more.

Additional Resources

7 Lessons for Teaching Writing
We learn to write by reading and writing. This natural method of learning to write is actually the MOST effective way to learn. All of the lessons in Write Something Every Day are based on this philosophy.

Activity: Write a Poem from a Model
One easy way to learn to write well is by copying good writers. Have your student give it a shot by writing a poem from a model. Another activity using Robert Frost’s poem.