Examples of I Am Poems

An I am poem is just one type of personal poem. To write an I am poem, you need to be ready to talk about yourself and who you are. You might use imagery words to define yourself or to illuminate descriptive personal traits.

While you might use an I am poem to talk about yourself, you can also create them about a hypothetical or imaginary character. Explore a few original I am poems by Jennifer L. Betts below.

I am thoughtful and contemplative.

I want a unicorn.

I worry about death.

I am thoughtful and contemplative.

I understand the truth of facts.

I believe in magic.

I dream of Hogwarts.

I am thoughtful and contemplative.

I am poems can follow a structure or be completely freeform. The only real rule is that they tell something about you and generally include the words "I am."

I am sweet and cute.

I wonder about Mars.

I touch rainbows.

I worry about getting old.

I want to be a wizard.

I am sweet and cute.

I pretend to have magic.

I feel the air around me.

I hear bells.

I see dancing unicorns.

I cry during sad movies.

I am sweet and cute.

I understand the vastness of the universe.

I dream of becoming a millionaire.

I say things that I shouldn't.

I hope to be a good person.

I am sweet and cute.

Unlike Shakespearian sonnets or haikus, I am poems don't have to follow a specific meter or be a certain length. For example, this I am poem features three stanzas of six lines. Some might have several dozen lines or just be three lines long.

I am from the kitchen

From knives and forks

I am from the mirror

Smooth but beautiful

I am from the roses

The pine trees near my home

Whose long-gone limbs I remember

As if they were my own.

I am from love and art

From my father and mother

I'm from chaos and laughter

And from caring too deeply.

I am from use your inside voice

And itsy-bitsy spider

I am from giving presents on Christmas Eve

I am from Lapeer and French

Tacos and cornbread stuffing

From my grandmother being a quilter

Who has long since passed away

The old pictures

On the wall

Shining with the heart of our family.

Another take on the I am poem is the I am from poem. In this rendition, you use items from your home and family that tell a story about who you are. They give readers a unique look into what makes you, well you.

There are several famous poets who have also created their own take on the I am poem genre. While these poems go beyond the simple I am poem format someone might follow in school, they still explore the self and who the writer is.

Examine a few excerpts from famous poems to see how they have molded this poetic form to explore themselves and their character.

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

I loafe and invite my soul,

I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass.

In "Song of Myself," Walt Whitman celebrates himself and what makes him unique. He also examines his love for nature and the world as a whole.

I am-yet what I am none cares or knows;

My friends forsake me like a memory lost:

I am the self-consumer of my woes-

They rise and vanish in oblivious host,

Like shadows in love's frenzied stifled throes

And yet I am, and live-like vapours tossed

John Clare's "I Am!" illustrates how I am poems can describe dark thoughts and actions. Clare's poem gives you a clear understanding of his frame of mind and his sense of self as he was experiencing his second trip to an insane asylum.

While you might choose to follow your own form of an I am poem, you can also start with a template to provide some structure. These templates have a standard fill in the blank format, but feel free to get creative and adjust to suit your voice.

I am poems can be fun to create. Whether you use a template or use your imagination to create something wholly original, I am poems provide a unique way to express yourself. You can even use them to introduce yourself to a class. If you are looking for a poetry style with more of a standard structure, try writing a villanelle poem.