Defining the Magic -Charles Bukowski-

A 
good
 poem
 is 
like 
a 
cold
 beer
      when 
you 
need 
it,

A 
good 
poem 
is 
a 
hot 
turkey sandwich

      when
 you’re 
hungry,

A 
good
 poem 
is 
a 
gun

      when the 
mob 
corners 
you,

A good 
poem 
is 
something 
that allows 
you 
to

      walk 
through 
the 
streets 
of death,

A
 good 
poem 
can 
make
 death 
melt

      like hot 
butter,

A good
 poem 
can 
frame 
a gony

      and hang 
it
 on
 a 
wall,

A
 good 
poem 
can 
let 
your 
feet

      touch China,

A 
good
 poem 
can
 make 
a

      broken 
mind fly,

A good
 poem 
can 
let
 you

      shakehands with 
Mozart,

A
 good 
poem 
can 
let 
you
 shoot 
craps with 
the 
devil
      and 
win,

A 
good
 poem 
can 
do 
almost 
anything,
      and 
most 
important

A good poem 
knows 
when 
to stop.


Activity
Go
 through 
each 
line 
of
 the poem 
and
 indicate 
if 
it 
is 
an 
example 
of 
simile,
 metaphor,

personification 
or 
does 
not 
contain
 a 
poetic 
device.
Then, 
write 
your
 own 
poem. 

It 
must 
contain 
3 
similes, 
3
metaphors 
and 3
 lines 
of

personification.