poetic device: Pun Poems

Puns are words or phrases with double meanings. That is, they can be taken in either of two ways, which can sometimes be very funny. Pun poems are poems that use puns to make you laugh.

Some puns are homophones, words that sound alike, but are spelled differently, such as “I have bear feet.” Others are homonyms, words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, such as “these batteries are free of charge.” Some are simply words that sound similar, such as “Today in the garden I wet my plants.” Still others are phrases that can mean two different things depending on whether you take them literally or figuratively, such as “the weight lifter held up a bank.”

These pun poems all include words or phrases with double meanings, either at the end or throughout the poem. See if you can count how many poems are in each.

My Kitten Had an Accident
My Legs Both Understand Me
I Fell in a Well
The Book of Glue by Kenn Nesbitt
The Book of Glue
Book Storm
Today I Have a Toothache by Kenn Nesbitt
Today I Have a Toothache
A Centaur Goes Out Shopping
My New TV
The Story of Laurie
Crazy Over Vegetables by Kenn Nesbitt and Eric Herman
Crazy Over Vegetables
When Chemists Die They Barium by Kenn Nesbitt
When Chemists Die, They Barium
Maine Event
A Feast for a Frog
A Dream of School Supplies
I Ate a Clock by Kenn Nesbitt
I Ate a Clock
Pelican
My Toes and My Nose
My Sheep Is Being Sheepish
Alphabet Break by Kenn Nesbitt
Alphabet Break
Waiter, There’s a Dog in My Soup
Cheese Breeze
I Fix My Duck with Duct Tape
My Sister’s Pretty Picky
Ode on a Unicycle