Dragon Poetry – descriptive language

Read the poem “Portrait of a Dragon” on the next page.

Discuss/think about the imagery used. (Imagery means the language or words used by a writer to help create images in our mind).

Has the poet, Moira Andrew, used alliteration, similes, personification, vivid adjectives/description etc.

Which words/phrases are particularly good? Why?

PORTRAIT OF A DRAGON

First published in 'Dragon Poems', OUP 1991

If I were an artist

I'd paint the portrait

of a dragon.

To do a proper job

I'd borrow colours

from the world.

For his back I'd

need a mountain range,

all misty-blue.

For spikes I'd use

dark fir trees pointing

to the sky.

For overlapping scales

I'd squeeze dye from

bright anemones.

I'd gild his claws

I like shining swords

with starlight.

His tail would be

a river, silver

in the sun.

For his head, the

secret green of forests

and deep seas.

And his eyes would

glow like embers in

a tinker's fire.

But I'd keep the best

till last. For his

hot breath

I'd use all reds and

yellows - crocus, saffron,

peony, poppy,

geranium, cyclamen, rose -

and fierce orange flames

from a marigold. Moira Andrew

Look at the “portraits” of dragons on the next few slides.

As you go through the pictures, start collecting words/phrases to describe them and each part of them.

Collect wow words, similes, metaphors, adjectives etc.

TASK: Create our own version of Portrait of a Dragon.

You can use Moira Andrew’s style or a style of your own. What would you use around the world to create your “Portrait of a Dragon”? Go back and look at her poem from the beginning.

Think about how you will start each sentence:- With fronted adverbials? – Carefully, Terrifyingly, Amazingly…-Or with a time adverbials? – First, Then, Next, After that, Finally…

- Or something else…

-Think about how you might need to change the order of your sentence to make it work.E.g. His scales would be...

For his scales, I would use …If I had ______, I would use them to paint his scales.

Check that your sentence makes sense.

If you use more than one adjective in a list, separate them with commas e.g. the stormy, blue sea.

Try to add a simile/vivid description/describe each part.

For his eyes..

I would use … for his eyes

After that, I would …

To paint his claws I would …

When you are done think about:Which parts worked really well? In which ways did you improve the sentences? Are they the best words in the best order?