What is poetry

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What is poetry?

• A genre of writing chosen and arranged to create
  a certain emotional response through meaning,
  sound, and rhythm.

CHESTER Chester come to school and said, Durn, I
growed another head. Teacher said, Its time
you knowed The word is grew instead of
growed. Shel Silverstein
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Verse

• A line of writing in which words are arranged in
  a rhythmic pattern

Line

• A single row of words written in a poem usually
  arranged in a rhythmic pattern

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Stanza

• A division of a poem consisting of a series of
  lines arranged together in a usually repeating
  pattern of rhythm and rhyme.
• A stanza is to poetry what a paragraph is to a
  narrative.

4
Repetition

• When the poet repeats one or more words or lines
  in a poem
• When the poet repeats one or more words or lines
  in a poem
• When the poet repeats one or more words or lines
  in a poem
• When the poet repeats one or more words or lines
  in a poem

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THE GOOGIES ARE COMING

• The googies are coming, the old people say,
• To buy little children and take them away.
• Fifty cents for fat ones,
• Twenty cents for lean ones,
• Fifteen cents for dirty ones,
• Thirty cents for clean ones,
• A nickel each for mean ones.
• The googies are coming, and maybe tonight,
• To buy little children and lock them up tight.
• Eighty cents for husky ones,
• Quarter for the weak ones,
• Penny each for noisy ones,
• A dollar for the meek ones.
• Forty cents for happy ones,
• Eleven cents for sad ones.
• And kiddies, when they come to buy,
• It wont do any good to cry.

repetition
3 stanzas
Shel Silverstein
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More repetition using one or more words or lines
in a poem.

• CORN-GRINDING SONG
• Laguana Indians
• Butterflies, butterflies,
• Now fly away to the blossoms,
• Fly blue-wing,
• Fly yellow-wing,
• Now fly away to the blossoms,
• Fly red-wing,
• Fly white-wing,
• Now fly away to the blossoms,
• Butterflies, away!
• Butterflies, butterflies,
• Now fly away to the blossoms,
• Butterflies, away!
• Trans. By Natalie Curtis

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Alliteration

• The repeating of the initial sound, usually a
  consonant sound, in a line of poetry.
• Billy Bob baked beans and barbequed burgers in
  the backyard at Bennies bungalow.

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MRS. PECK-PIGEON

• Mrs. Peck-Pigeon
• Is picking for bread,
• Bob-bob-bob
• Goes her little round head.
• Tame as a pussy-cat
• In the street,
• Step-step-step
• Go her little red feet.
• With her little red feet
• And her little round head,
• Mrs. Peck-Pigeon
• Goes picking for bread.
• Eleanor Farjeon

alliteration
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Figurative Language

• Language that is not literal.
• Used to create imagery in text.
• Includes
• similes,
• metaphors,
• personification,
• and idioms.

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A simile uses like or as to compare two
things or ideas

• BRIGHT SPIDERS
• Bright spiders are like
• Shiny glitter.
• And like snowflakes in the
• Cold winter.
• They look like the
• Sun extra bright.
• Adam Norlander

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More Similes

• As bright as the noonday sun
• As busy as a bee
• As clear as a bell
• As clear as the nose on your face
• As cool as a cucumber
• As certain as death and taxes
• As cold as ice
• As cute as button
• As deep as the ocean
• As hard as a rock
• As hungry as a bear
• As quiet as a mouse
• As smooth as glass
• As stubborn as a mule
• As smart as a whip

Acts like a bull in a china shop Eat like its a
going out of style Eat like a pig Cry like a
baby Drinks like a fish Eats like a bird Fits
like a glove Fought like cats and dogs Laughs
like a hyena Runs like a deer or (Deere) Sing
like a bird Slept like a log Work like a
dog Waddle like a duck Works like a charm
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A metaphor is a comparison that states one thing
is another.

• GREEN FOG
• Green fog, youre a monsters
• Breath.
• Green fog, youre a nightmare
• That comes to life.
• Youre like a bright green lime.
• Youre sour and nobody
• Would like to eat you.
• When you get mad, you
• Turn yourself red,
• And something horrible happens.
• You feel like dragon scales.
• Russell Haight

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More metaphors

• Alex is a walking encyclopedia.
• Johns head is a computer.
• Jealousy is a green-eyed monster.
• That car is an old dinosaur.
• Shes a regular adding machine.
• He is faster than a streak of lightning.
• Her heart is a fountain of kindness.
• She is the shining star in his dark, dreary life.
• He is a snail when it comes to getting work done.
• Mrs. Hills bark is worse than her bite.
• His car is a lemon.
• Youre a chicken when it comes to running a race
  with me.
• This room is an icebox.
• His stomach was a bottomless pit.

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Personification is giving human qualities to an
animal or non-living thing.

• PIRATE WIND
• The autumn winds a pirate,
• Blustering in from the sea
• With a rollicking song, he sweeps along,
• Swaggering boistrously.
• He laughs as he storms the country,
• A loud laugh and a bold
• And the trees all quake and shiver and shake,
• As he robs them of their gold.
• The autumn winds a pirate,
• Pillaging just for fun
• Hell snatch your hat as quick as that,
• And laugh to see you run!

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More personification

•  
• My computer hates me.
• The camera loves me.
• Art is a jealous mistress.
• Wind yells while blowing.
• Opportunity knocked on the door.
• The sun greeted me this morning.
• Snow had wrapped a white blanket over the city.
• Time never waits for anyone.
• Trees were dancing with the wind.
• The TV sprang to life.
• The radio stopped singing and continued to stare
  at me.
• The picture in that magazine shouted for
  attention.
• Plants were suffering from the intense heat.
• The flowers were crying for my attention.
• Sun was playing hide and seek, amidst the clouds.
  
• The car winked at me.
• The lightning lashed out with anger.
• The moon seemed to smile at me from the sky.

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Idioms

• An idiom is a phrase whose meaning can not be
  determined by the literal definition, but instead
  it refers to figurative meaning.

The idiom to be in the doghouse means to be in
trouble, not literally sitting in a doghouse.
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More idiomsThere are way too many to list!

• " Between a rock and a hard place " Meaning - In
  a very difficult situation when any resolution
  will be unpleasant
• " Blow your top " Meaning - To lose your temper
• " Break a leg " Meaning - Used to wish good luck
  to stage performers before an opening
• " By the skin of your teeth " Meaning - Complete
  a task at the very last minute
• " Drop someone a line " Meaning - To write to
  someone
• " Excuse my French " Meaning - An apology for
  swearing
• " Fire someone " Meaning - To end someone's
  employment
• " Get your wires crossed " Meaning - A
  misunderstanding
• " Have an axe to grind " Meaning - To have an
  ulterior motive or a long term grudge against
  someone
• " Hit the sack " Meaning - To go to bed
• " Keep an eye out for " Meaning - To look after
  another

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Sensory Details

• Effective writers use details of sight, sound,
  smell, touch, and taste to make their readers
  feel as if they are sharing an experience.
  Sensory words can bring a description or
  narration to life.

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sight

• Shape flat, domed, circular, curved, triangular,
  wavy, square, oval.
• Color cardinal, crimson, maroon, lime, emerald,
  olive, turquoise, navy, gold, silver, ivory,
  pearl.
• Appearance slender, swollen, lumpy, chubby,
  muscular, shadowy, steep, glistening, glowing,
  crooked, dull, shabby, muddy, freckled, wrinkled,
  striped.
• Fast movements scamper, dart, spring, streak,
  trot, gallop, dash, zoom, hurl, flick, whisk,
  rip, swerve, dive, swoop, plunge, twirl.
• Slow movements creep, crawl, amble, saunter,
  slink, stalk, waddle, drift.

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sound

• Loud crash, thud, roar, screech, whistle, whine,
  squawk, blare, rumble, grate, slam, jangle,
  clash, racket, thunderous, deafening, piercing
• Soft sigh, murmur, whisper, whir, rustle,
  twitter, patter, hum, hiss, peep, buzz, gurgle,
  swish, chime, tinkle, clink
• Speech stutter, stammer, giggle, whimper coo,
  chatter, growl, snort

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OnomatopoeiaOther sound words

• snap
• crackle
• pop
• rip
• bang
• buzz
• pow
• zap
• zip
• meow

growl beep burp bleep hiccup bark vroom flip flop
chomp
An onomatopoeia is a word that represents a
sound.
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• Cafeteria Boom!Went the foodtrays. Clap!
  Clap!Goes the teacher.Rip! Went the plastic
  bag.Munch! Munch!Go the students.Slurp!!!Went
  the straws.WhisperIs what half the kidsin the
  roomare doing.Crunch! Crunch!gothe candy
  bars.
• By Rachael

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• slimy
• dusty
• steamy
• slippery
• spongy
• mushy
• oily
• waxy
• rubbery
• leathery

silky velvety woolly prickly gritty fuzzy sticky d
amp sandy
touch
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taste

• buttery
• salty
• bitter
• smoky
• sugary
• sour
• vinegary
• fruity
• tangy
• medicinal
• sweet

fishy spicy peppery burnt rotten perfumed earthy p
iney reeking musty nutty
smell
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Rhyme Patterns

• LITTLE RAIN
• When I was making myself a game
• Up in the garden, a little rain came.
• It fell down quick in a sort of rush,
• And I crawled back under the snowball bush.
• I could hear the big drops hit the ground
• And see little puddles of dust fly round.
• A chicken came till the rain was gone
• He had just a very few feathers on.

couplet
each 2 lines rhymes
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• He shivered a little under his skin,
• And then shut his eyeballs in.
• Even after the rain had begun to hush
• It kept on raining up in the bush.
• One big flat drop came sliding down,
• And a ladybug that was red and brown
• Was up on a little stem waiting there,
• And I got some rain in my hair.

couplet
each 2 lines rhymes
Elizabeth Madox Roberts
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Write a couplet

• Write your first sentence.
• Make a list of words that rhyme with the last
  word of your sentence.
• Write your second sentence.
• I like to zip down the street.
• Riding motorcycles cant be beat.
• Remember couple means two!

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ABCB PatternLines 2 4 rhyme, but lines 1 3
do not.

• THE MONKEYS AND THE CROCODILE
• Five little monkeys
• Swinging from a tree
• Teasing Uncle Crocodile,
• Merry as can be.
• Swinging high, swinging low,
• Swinging left and right
• Dear Uncle Crocodile,
• Come and take a bite!

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ABAB PatternLines 1 3 rhyme, and lines 2 4
rhyme.

• BREAKFAST TIME
• The sun is always in the sky
• Whenever I get out of bed,
• And I often wonder why
• Its never lateMy sister said.
• She didnt know who did the trick,
• And that she didnt care a bit,
• And I should eat my porridge quick.
• I think its mother wakens it.
• James Stephens

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Limerick

• Limericks are five-line poems that are almost
  always humorous.
• The first two and the last line rhyme and are no
  longer than the second two rhyming lines.
• The poem usually tells a story.

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Limerick

• There once was an alligator named Cecilia
• If you ever saw her it would chill you.
• She wore a hat,
• She was so fat,
• She was always trying to kill-ya.
• Chris Castro

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LimericksHave an AABBA pattern

• The 1st line (which rhymes with lines 2 5)
  almost always begin with There once was
• What happens or what other information will you
  tell for line 2.
• Two short snappy lines that rhyme for lines 3
  4.
• Try to make the last line 5 the best of all

1 There once was a student named Sam A 2 Who
loved peanut butter and jam. A 3 This snack is
the best B 4 It tops all the rest B 5
Reported that fellow named Sam. A
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Write a limerick

• Think about your first line.
• Think of a second line. Remember to make it rhyme
  with line one.
• Write two short sentences that tell about your
  topic. Remember, both lines have to rhyme with
  each other.
• Write the final line. Remember to make it rhyme
  with lines one and two.

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Acrostic poem

• An acrostic poem is started by writing a word
  vertically. Then each letter in the word is
  included in a line of the poem.
• Revving my engine
• I feel wind in my face
• Driving down the road
• Excitement

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acrostic

• Spring comes March 21
• Playing wild weather games
• Rain, wind, hail, sunshine
• In like a lion, out like a lamb
• No more winter!
• Green grass grows gently
• Acrostic poems do not have to rhyme.

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• Puffins are seabirds
• Usually born in burrows
• Feed on fish
• Found in cold climates
• Icelandic bird
• Nest are underground
• Summertime chicks

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Write an acrostic poem using your name.

• Hello, my name is Mrs. Hill
• I am happy to write my words.
• Loved to read and write poetry,
• Laughing, lounging, and
• singing like birds.

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Concrete or Shape Poem

• The words are written in the shape of the topic
  you are describing.

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Shape Poems
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Write a shape poem

• Select an object. Simple shapes work best.
• List descriptive words and phrases about the
  object.
• Select the best ones and arrange them so they
  have a pleasing sound.
• Draw an outline shape of the object, using a
  black pen. Place a sheet of thin plain paper over
  the drawing. Fasten the pages together with a
  paper clip.
• Write the words or phrases following the shape of
  the object to create the shape poem. Remove
  the top sheet of paper to see the completed poem.

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Triante Poem

• A triante poem has five lines and is shaped like
  a triangle.

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triante

• Line 1 topic (one word)
• Line 2 things you smell (two words)
• Line 3 things you touch or taste (three words)
• Line 4 things you see (four words)
• Line 5 things you do or hear (five words)

Spring grass, flowers candy, fruit,
barbecue birds, buds, bugs, blossoms swing, play,
climb, dance, slide
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Haiku

• A haiku is a Japanese poem that has 3 lines that
  do not rhyme.
• The first line has 5 syllables.
• The second line has 7 syllables.
• The third line has 5 syllables.
• Glistening metal (5)
• On a dark, winding highway (7)
• Breaking the silence. (5)

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Haiku

• A Rainbow by Donna Brock
• Curving up, then down. (5 syllables)
•  Meeting blue sky and green earth (7 syllables)
•  Melding sun and rain. (5 syllables)

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Test yourself

• THE FOURTH
• Oh
• CRASH!
• my
• BASH!
• its
• BANG!
• the
• ZANG!
• Fourth
• WHOOSH
• of
• BAROOM
• July
• WHEW!
• Shel Silverstein

What elements of poetry does this poem have?
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Can you guess the title and the elements of
poetry?

• My skin is kind of sort of brownish
• Pinkish yellowish white.
• My eyes are greyish blueish green,
• But Im told they look orange in the night.
• My hair is reddish blondish brown,
• But its silver when its wet.
• And all the colors I am inside
• Have not been invented yet.
• Shel Silverstein

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What kind of poem is this?

• MY BEARD
• My beard grows to my toes,
• I never wears no clothes,
• I wraps my hair
• Around my bare,
• And down the road I goes.

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Try another one

• PIRATE CAPTAIN JIM
• Walk the plank, says Pirate Jim.
• But Captain Jim, I cannot swim.
• Then you must steer us through the gale.
• But Captain Jim, I cannot sail.
• Then down with the galley slaves you go.
• But Captain Jim, I cannot row.
• Then you must be the pirates clerk.
• But Captain Jim, I cannot work.
• Then a pirate captain you must be.
• Thank you, Jim, says Captain Me.
• Shel Silverstein

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Sounds like fun

• THE TOUCAN
• Tell me who can
• Catch a toucan?
• Lou can.
• Just how few can
• Ride the toucan?
• Two can.
• What kind of goo can
• Stick you to the toucan?
• Glue can.
• Who can write some
• More about the toucan?
• You can!
• Shel Silverstein

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Poetry Words to Know
stanza haiku triante onomatopoeia pattern repetiti
on couplet limerick acrostic concrete shape

• alliteration
• limerick
• metaphor
• narrator
• personification
• poet
• rhyme
• sensory details
• simile
• verse

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More Poetry to research

• ABC poems
• ballads
• free verse
• quatrain
• cinquain
• narrative poetry
• sonnets
• prose