Book Spine Poetry is a form of found poetry where the spines of books are arranged vertically so that their titles, when read from top to bottom, become the lines of a poem. It is a fun poetry writing exercise both for children and adults.

Here are the steps to create a poem in the aforementioned style.

• STEP 1 : Gather the books

This is the toughest part. Gather books with interesting, catchy titles. If you don’t have enough books at home, consider visiting a nearby library. The whole charm in creating this kind of poetry involves using hard copies. Using digital books should be the last option.

• STEP 2 : Shortlist the books and stack them

Shortlist the books with the titles that seem to flow with a particular theme. Stack them vertically from top to bottom, rearranging them as many times as you wish.

• STEP 3 : Craft the Poem

Read aloud the titles to check whether the lines sound like a poem. Take a picture of the stacked books. Write out the titles on a separate piece of paper. You cannot add any new words to the poem. However, you are allowed to add punctuations. The poem can be of any length as long as you are satisfied with the outcome.

• STEP 4: Share your creation

Finally, share your poetic creation along with the picture of the stacked books.

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Here is a Book Spine Poem attempted by me;

 

 

A fallen leaf,

By the river Piedra I sat down and wept.

Myriad of dreams

Under the moonlit sky,

Wish I could tell you

The whole truth…

Windblown landscapes—

The story of my life,

Labyrinth of silence,

Twisted tales and turns,

A closet full of skeletons,

Forbidden treasure.

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I hope you enjoyed my creation. Please drop in your comments. Have fun experimenting this form.