Onomatopoeia Poems

The first challenge of Onomatopoeia Poems is learning how to spell them. Once you get that down, you can feel very smart (and impress your friends). After that, you can put onomatopoeia to work for you. If you say, "That's Greek to me," you're absolutely right. According to Merriam-Webster online, "onomatopoeia" is derived from the Greek words "onomat" and "poien," translating roughly into "to make names." A clearer definition would be that onomatopoeia is the use of words that sound like what they describe. A few examples would be: buzz, clink, tinkle, gasp, bubble... well, you get the idea.

Onomatopoeia Poem #1

Listen to all the onomatopoeia examples in the following poems from my book, A Little Bit of Nonsense. This is an example of onomatopoeia poetry in action.

Crack an Egg
Crack an egg.
Stir the butter.
Break the yolk.
Make it flutter.
Stoke the heat.
Hear it sizzle.
Shake the salt,
just a drizzle.
Flip it over,
just like that.
Press it down.
Squeeze it flat.
Pop the toast.
Spread jam thin.
Say the word.
Breakfast's in .

Onomatopoeia Poem #2

The title of the next poem says it all. "Kaboom." It is a poem about miners. It's from my book, Great Lakes Rhythm and Rhyme.

Way in the past
the miners mined for ore.
They searched for copper, iron and salt,
for that and much, much more.

The bite
of dynamite
cut deep inside the earth.
The charge explodes revealing lodes
of minerals of worth.

The dust,
the air so mussed
went swirling through the sky.
It was a sight, the dynamite
that made the mountains fly.

The earth
was filled with mirth
so tickled by the boom.
The miner's pleasure,
each newfound treasure
that followed each

by Denise Rodgers

Copyright© Denise Rodgers
All Rights Reserved
Great Lakes Rhythm and Rhyme

Art by Julie Martin

Onomatopoeia Poem #3

The next poem is also from Great Lakes Rhythm and Rhyme. It is all about the Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. (These falls were also the inspiration for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's famous poem, Hiawatha.) Listen to all the "whooshing," "gushing," "roars," and more to "hear" the onomatopeia.

Tahquamenon Falls
Water rushing,
past the limits of the edge.
Water barrels off the ledge,
whipping up the bottom sludge,
makes the water look like fudge,
growling with a freight train's roar,
wildly rushes out some more.

You could harness all the power
as it flashes hour by hour
and will never, ever stop,
thickly loaded from the top.
Water flowing, swiftly whooshing,
always whisking, always pushing
to the river down below,
always rushing, never slow,
till it falls right past the islands,
gives it just another try and
with a mild and calming quiver,
it becomes a simple river.
It's amazing if you spy it;
all that noise and then the

by Denise Rodgers

Copyright© Denise Rodgers
Great Lakes Rhythm and Rhyme
All Rights Reserved
Art by Julie Martin

Write Your own Onomatopoeia Poem

If you are interested in writing a poem using onomatopoeia, give it a try. It's a lot of fun. Pick a topic that makes sound, of course. Think of all the words that describe the sound. Make a list and then sit down in a comfy place and start to write. I'm sure you'll find that your poem will have a lot of life -- and paint a very vivid picture.

More pages to help you become a poet!

  • Metaphor Poems

    Read these metaphor poems in action. Her smile was a cool welcome breeze on a hot summer day. His voice was crackling thunder, startling us to our feet making us quiver in primal fear.

  • Metaphor Examples

    Here is a good source of fun metaphor examples: He was a lightening rod for all the excitement in our class. Her voice grated on the blackboard of my mind.

  • Alliteration

    Alliteration always wins over willing wordplay wonks. Get it? Gee, grownups grasp gratuitous gameplay while grinning.

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