How to Write a CentoThe Patchwork Poem
Learn how to write a cento.
Cento comes from the Latin word meaning “patchwork.” The cento is literally a patchwork poem that is made using lines from the works of other poets. The rules for writing a cento are simple. You can write a cento as long or as short as you like. It may or may not rhyme. You may only borrow one line from a poem, but you can repeat that same line throughout your cento. The subject choice is yours to make, be it serious or comedic. For example: High on the hill-top, (William Allingham, The Fairies) Above the twilight sea, (Queenie Scott-Hopper, Very Nearly) You may see the baby goblins (Monica Shannon, How To Tell Goblins From Elves) Beneath a hawthorn tree. (Margaret Ritter, Faith, I Wish I Were A Leprechaun) Centos are a great way to encourage older children to read poetry. As an assignment, students may be told to write a cento from the poems of a specific poet or a cento with a specific theme.
The copyright of the article How to Write a Cento in Children’s Books is owned by Elizabeth Yetter. Permission to republish How to Write a Cento in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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